Sunset Part I
by transmutejun
Summary: Jun learns some disturbing things about her past. How will this affect her relationship with Ken?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ken sat on the barstool, watching the slim woman cleaning the counter. She wasn't looking at him, but he had no doubt that she knew he was there. A shaft of afternoon sunlight came through the window and lit her up her ebony hair, showing off its lights.

Jun turned, and gave him a soft smile. Her expression of contentment completed the picture.

Ken couldn't tear his eyes away.

"I guess Jinpei's cooking must be pretty good, to make you smile like that, Ken." she winked at him.

"Oh, yeah." Ken said, bringing his attention to Jun's words, rather than her appearance. "It's great!" He took another bite of his lunch.

Jun grinned to herself. She knew Ken had been watching her. He had been more and more overt about it lately. Not that she minded.

She didn't mind at all.

For years she and Ken had sensed an undercurrent of attraction between them. But Ken had been so standoffish… Jun wasn't sure what had changed his attitude, but in the last couple of weeks he had been more… receptive. She didn't know what had caused this change in attitude, but she was grateful for it.

As first, she hadn't been entirely certain what was happening. After so many months… years… of trying to catch Ken's attention, she had given up. So when the first few hints came, she hadn't taken them at their face value. A casual compliment, an arm thrown around her shoulder, catching him watching her… it had all seemed well within the boundaries of their friendship.

But lately, it had been different. Over the past few weeks, Ken had been spending most of his free time at the Snack J. Of course, it _could_ be the free meals (his tab was approaching the size of the national debt), but he'd never been that excited about Jinpei's cooking before. And when he looked at her… Jun felt the butterflies in her stomach.

Still, she was cautious. Ken had obviously pulled back from her before, and she didn't want to scare him off by being the aggressor. But Jun was certainly glowing with all of the attention he had been paying to her.

Ken wasn't sure exactly what had caused this change in his attitude toward Jun. It wasn't that he had suddenly woken up one day, realizing that the ideal woman was right there in front of him. No, it had been more of a gradual shift in his way of thinking. And then one night, as he lay in bed, sleep eluding his grasp, he had started wondering about tomorrow. What was tomorrow? It was the promise of another day. A certainty that the sun would rise, and time would pass, and that life would go on.

Only, Ken wasn't sure of that. In his line of work, tomorrow was hardly a certainty. There was no guarantee that he would live to see the next day. The sunset each night could easily be the last he ever saw.

And if it _were_ the last… he was seeing it alone.

Was that how he wanted to die? Alone? For that matter, was that how he wanted to live?

A few women had crossed his path, from time to time, but although he felt an attraction, he had pushed them away. How could they understand his life? He wasn't in a position to be making any commitments, or be offering any kind of permanence.

As he tossed and turned with these thoughts, a call from his bracelet forced him from his bed, and out into the cold rain, responding to yet another threat from Galactor. No woman would be able to understand his duty, his need, his… obsession… with defeating Galactor.

Presumably, one day the war would be over. And then, perhaps, he could look for someone, with whom to spend the rest of his life. But, there was no guarantee that he would even be alive by then. And even if the war did end, what prevented another organization, like Galactor, from threatening the peace?

No, Ken knew that this life was his, forever. There might be a momentary lull, but the fight would never end.

Of course, there had been just such a lull, of late. Galactor had been quiet. Almost too quiet. After a couple of weeks, Ken had begun to grow concerned. If Galactor hadn't shown their ugly, green faces, that must mean that they had been working on something. But when he had voiced these concerns to Dr. Nambu, they had discovered what was wrong.

Katse was ill.

Their informants didn't have much to tell, but the ISO had learned that Katse had been incapacitated, for some time. He did not appear to speak to captains, or troops, and had pretty much withdrawn from sight altogether. Doctors from around the world had been consulted, but his status hadn't changed.

No wonder Galactor had been quiet. They had been without a leader. Of course, Ken knew that the being known as X was the _true_ leader of Galactor, but apparently X couldn't just work through anyone. Leader X protected Katse, and had said that he was 'special'. If Katse died, Ken was certain that Leader X would find a replacement. But that would take time. Time the Science Ninja Team could use, to find Galactor's headquarters, and destroy the organization, for once, and for all.

For the past few weeks, the ISO had continued to search for information as to the whereabouts of Galactor headquarters. But with no Galactor activity, this was proving to be difficult. And so, the team had found themselves with what amounted to an unscheduled vacation.

Ryu was visiting with his family. Jinpei was actually catching up on his schoolwork. Joe had thrown himself back into the local racing scene, and Ken had started up his air delivery service again. And Jun was throwing her heart into the Snack J. Ken found himself gravitating there between deliveries, and in the evenings. Lately he found that he had been making excuses to himself to go, to the point of scheduling deliveries around the Joint's operating hours.

Ken knew it was merely a pleasant interlude, and so did Jun. Didn't she?

Jun smiled at Ken, her emerald eyes flashing in amusement, as he struggled with these thoughts, while eating his lunch.

"It's nice, isn't it?" she said, softly.

"What's nice?" Ken asked, through a mouthful of sandwich. Grimacing, he swallowed quickly.

Jun didn't appear to notice.

"This… life… acting like _normal_ people." she answered, a far-off look on her face. "I know it's not forever, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts." She turned and looked right into Ken's eyes. "Aren't you?"

Jun held her breath. It was as close as she had gotten, to asking Ken what was happening between them. She hoped her evasive question wouldn't destroy whatever fledgling emotions were growing.

In fact, it had the opposite effect.

Ken nearly smacked himself in the head. He couldn't believe he'd never realized it before. No woman could understand the life he led… except Jun. _Because she was living it with him._

Jun knew, as well as he did, that today's sunset might be their last. That whatever peace they were enjoying now, was only momentary. She understood that all-consuming need: that drive, to defeat Galactor.

He had been so intent on maintaining his isolation from other people, that he had isolated himself from his own teammates, as well.

If this thought had occurred to him at any other time, he would probably have brushed it aside. But things had been peaceful. He had been enjoying Jun's company for these last few weeks, and he had even occasionally allowed himself to wonder, 'What if?'. His feelings were already starting to slip out of their carefully constructed prison.

And so it was, that Ken acted with uncharacteristic impulsiveness.

"I am." he said calmly. "What are you doing, tonight, Jun?"

Quickly, Jun ran through the options in her head. She had been planning on opening the Joint, but it was Sunday, the slowest night of the week. It wouldn't really cause her any problems if she closed up. And Jinpei would appreciate the break.

"Nothing major, just a little work here at the Joint." she said, slowly.

"How about getting out of here, for a change?" Ken asked her. "With me…"

"I'd love that." she whispered, her face breaking into a huge grin.

"You know, Joe really raves about that little Italian restaurant, around the corner." Ken continued. "I suppose we could… meet… there." He carefully avoided the 'd' word. He wasn't _that_ reckless.

"That sounds wonderful." Jun accepted readily. "It's been awhile since I went out."

"Great! So… I'll meet you there at seven o'clock?" Ken asked, a goofy grin on his face.

"I wouldn't miss it." Jun beamed.

"Okay." Ken replied, polishing off the last of his lunch. "I have a couple of deliveries to make, but I'll see you then."

"I'm… I'm looking forward to it." he added quietly.

"Me too." Jun blushed, suddenly shy. She watched him as he left the Joint, then began humming a little tune to herself as she finished cleaning up.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jun stood in front of her closet, trying to decide what to wear. Unlike most girls her age, she had precious little to choose from, and most of the items still had price tags attached. She had five identical numbered shirts, and pairs of striped jeans, and of course these were the items that most often saw the light of day. She also had a few black shirts, and jeans, for wearing at the Joint at night, but that was it. Besides, this… dinner… with Ken, deserved more than jeans. It was a special occasion, and Jun wanted to show Ken that she had made an effort.

She looked through her meager wardrobe, finally selecting a sheer, blue blouse, with a matching camisole, and a tight black miniskirt. Of course, Ken saw her in a miniskirt all the time, but this was different. She got dressed, and admired her reflection in the mirror.

Yes… this was it. Sexy, but not sleazy. A little dressy, but not so dressed up as to imply that this was a _date_. Jun knew that she was walking a fine line, and didn't want to scare Ken off.

Grinning, Jun sat down and stared at the makeup she had purchased that afternoon. The lady at the cosmetics store had suggested a number of things to 'enhance' her natural beauty, but since she rarely wore any of this stuff, Jun had only selected a couple of items. She looked at the instructions she had written down, carefully following them as she applied the blush, mascara and lipstick to her face.

She was paying so much attention to the mirror, that she didn't notice the sound of footsteps behind her.

"What are you doing, Onechan?" Jinpei asked.

Jun nearly jumped, her lipstick falling to the dresser with a loud clatter. Fortunately, it had missed her outfit. She turned, looking at Jinpei, a blush staining her cheeks.

"Uh… I was just…" she searched for words.

"Wow, you sure put on a lot of that stuff!" Jinpei exclaimed. "Are you going to a clown convention?" he teased her. Actually, she looked very pretty, but there was no way he would ever tell her that. He didn't want his Onechan getting full of herself.

"Actually," Jun mumbled, "I'm going out to dinner."

"Dinner?" Jinpei asked, surprised, "Does that mean the Joint is closed tonight?"

"Yes." Jun confirmed, "You can play all the video games you want."

"Cool!" Jinpei whooped. "Thanks, Onechan!"

"You deserve a break, Jinpei." Jun smiled. "You've been working really hard, lately."

"Wait a minute…" Jinpei said, suddenly suspicious, "Why would you close the Joint, just to go to dinner? Unless…" a sly look stole across his face. "You're going out with Aniki! Aren't you?"

Jun's face turned a bright red, answering Jinpei's question.

"Wow, he actually went for it!" Jinpei crowed, "I can't believe it! About time, too. When's he showing up?"

"No, Jinpei, you can't tease him about this!" Jun exclaimed, a look of panic crossing her lovely features. "I don't even know, if it was _that_ kind of invitation."

"All right, all right…" Jinpei grinned, holding up his hands. "I won't say anything. I'll even make myself scarce when he shows up." He was actually thrilled that Ken had finally made a move. He had been trying to get Onechan and Aniki together for years. There was no way he'd mess this up for Jun.

"Thanks, Jinpei." Jun sighed, looking relieved. She glanced at the time. "Oh, no! I have to meet him in half an hour!"

"Got it!" Jinpei smiled. "I'm out of here!" He gave Jun a 'thumbs up' sign, before dashing off to his room to turn on his Nintendo system. He even closed the door. Anything he could do to give the two lovebirds a little privacy. There would be plenty of time for spying on them later, after they finally admitted how they felt about each other.

Jun gave herself a final once-over. She looked pretty good. She just hoped that Ken thought so, too. Humming to herself, she ran down the stairs, into the Joint. It was dark, and the closed sign showed on the front door. She was just rummaging through her purse for her keys when she heard footsteps behind her.

Whirling around, she saw a strange man approaching her.

"I'm sorry, we're closed." she said, in a cold voice. "How did you get in here?"

"Are you Jun Matsuo?" the man asked, ignoring her question.

"What business is it of yours?" Jun asked angrily. She didn't like this man's attitude. She contemplated the best way to deliver a swift kick to his head, without ripping her skirt.

Roughly, the man grabbed her wrist and yanked her purse from her grasp. Jun had had enough. She lifted her leg, executing a perfect side kick into the man's abdomen. His grunt of surprise was satisfying, and she was just about to crush his windpipe with a hand strike when another set of arms grabbed her from behind.

Her training took over, and she jammed her elbow into the assailant's solar plexus, before digging her high heel into his foot. He cried out, and she evaded his grasp, spinning around to strike his neck.

"She's a live one!" a third voice called out. Jun was momentarily surprised, and the first man managed to jam something into her side.

A wave of electricity surged through Jun's body. She fell to the floor, her body convulsing in massive spasms of pain. She was just pushing the pain aside and preparing a counterattack when she felt a needle pricking her arm. Her mind felt foggy, her limbs were numb.

It took only a few seconds for the blackness to claim Jun's mind.

88888

Ken grabbed a towel as he came out of the shower, drying off in a haphazard fashion. He was on the verge of running late, and this was a night where he _definitely_ wanted to be on time.

He nearly cut himself shaving, in his haste to finish. He had to force himself to slow down, lest he show up to dinner with pieces of toilet paper on his face.

As Ken automatically reached for his number 1 shirt and jeans, he briefly debated the possibility of wearing something else. Something _different_… something to show Jun that he didn't think of this as an 'ordinary' evening.

On the other hand, he was so used to his civilian uniform, that he usually felt uncomfortable in anything else… other than Birdstyle, of course. And he didn't need anything making him uncomfortable tonight. As it was, Ken was starting to wonder if he had done the right thing, inviting Jun to dinner.

But the more Ken thought about it, the more he pictured Jun sitting across from him at table for two, the faster his heart beat. His mind was getting anxious, but the rest of his body shivered with anticipation.

Nervously, Ken got dressed, and ran a comb through his hair. It would have to do, because if he dawdled any longer, he would be late. He grabbed his car keys and made his way out the door.

In the car, Ken turned on the radio. Surprise! It was actually working tonight. He found a station playing soft rock, and tapped his fingers on the wheel in time with the tune. He felt a strange urge to whistle.

It suddenly dawned on him that he was _happy_. Really happy, not just _content_, the way he usually was. It was a strange feeling, especially as it had nothing whatsoever to do with his fight against Galactor.

Fleetingly, Ken wondered if this was dangerous; if this kind of happiness was a distraction, from the ever-present threat of attack. But then he realized: the mere fact that he was pondering this, meant that he wasn't distracted. He was still alert, and ready to assemble his team. But in the meantime, he was looking forward to dinner with Jun.

He found a parking spot right outside the restaurant. There were some advantages to going out on Sunday night. Locking his car, he realized with a smile that he was right on time.

Ken entered the restaurant, his eyes sweeping the room for Jun. The place was more than half-empty, given the night, and he didn't see her. He decided to wait for her at the bar, where he could have a 'bird's eye view' of the entrance.

He ordered a drink, but seeing as how he actually had to _pay_ here, he sipped it slowly.

Two hours later, he was still nursing the same drink.

The door opened, and Ken looked up to see a familiar numbered shirt walking through the doorway.

Unfortunately, it was Joe.

Joe was surprised to see his Commander sitting at the bar, in his favorite restaurant. Even more, he was startled to see the condition Ken was in. He looked… worried.

"Hi, Ken." Joe said, walking cautiously up to his friend. "What's up?"

Ken saw the concerned look in Joe's eyes, but didn't bother to hide his feelings.

"I'm… I'm waiting for Jun." he muttered, staring into the remnants of his drink.

"Jun?" asked Joe, surprised. "Was she meeting you here?"

Joe wondered what was going on. Were Ken and Jun on some kind of _date_? That wasn't Ken's style at all, although, lately… Lately Joe had begun to think that Ken's attitude was changing. He was… loosening up, a bit.

"Yeah." Ken admitted, "She was supposed to be here, two hours ago."

"Two hours?" Joe exclaimed. "So what are you still doing here?"

"Huh?" Ken looked confused, as if he didn't understand what Joe was saying.

"There's got to be something wrong." Joe stated firmly. "Let's go see if we can find her!"

"But… what if there's _nothing_ wrong?" Ken asked quietly. "What if Jun just…"

"Stood you up?" Joe laughed. "Ken, if there's one thing I know about Jun, it's that she's been waiting for years to go out with you. She would _never_ stand you up."

"You're right…" Ken said, shaking his head. "I guess… I wasn't thinking…" He couldn't believe that he'd been sitting here for two hours, worrying that Jun wasn't interested in having dinner with her Commander. What was wrong with him?

Ken stood up and walked out of the restaurant with Joe, activating his bracelet on the way. Once he was outside he raised it to his mouth.

"G-3, this is G-1. Come in, G-3."

There was no response.

Joe tried to contact Jun as well. There was still no response.

"She must have turned off her bracelet." Ken said. "Let's check out the Joint."

Quickly, they walked the down the block to Jun's Joint. The bar was dark, and the closed sign showed in the window. But the door swung open when they tried it.

Ken glanced at Joe, and saw a grim look in the Condor's eyes.

Joe flicked on the light switch, ready for danger. But the bar was empty.

Ken swept his gaze over the room, his eyes alighting on a few spots on the floor. He knelt down, and brushed his fingers lightly over them. They were a little wet, and sticky.

"Blood." he said curtly. He was in full Eagle mode now.

Joe nodded, and pulled a few shurikens from his jeans. Ken nodded to him, and silently they crept up the stairs.

There were only three doors on the upper floor of the joint. The doors to the bathroom and Jun's room were open. Quickly, Ken looked inside. They were dark, and empty. The door to the other bedroom was closed, and a thin line of light glowed from underneath the frame.

Ken looked at Joe, and in unison they kicked open the door, leaping inside the room, battle ready.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!" screamed Jinpei, jumping up from the overstuffed chair in which he had been playing video games. A large bowl careened off of his lap, sending popcorn flying everywhere.

"What do you guys think you're doing?" Jinpei huffed as he pulled off his headphones and glared at his teammates. "Can't you come up with something better to do?" He brushed angrily past the two ninjas to examine the door.

"Jun is going to kill me when she sees this!" he muttered. "You guys are in _such_ trouble!"

"Where's Jun?" Joe asked in a flinty tone.

"Jun?" Jinpei looked confused. "She went out to dinner. Hey…" he swung his gaze to Ken, suddenly realizing who was in the room with him. "Are you guys back already? I thought for sure you'd be…"

"She didn't show up." Ken interrupted Jinpei.

"What do you mean?" asked Jinpei, confused. "I saw her, and she told me she was going to dinner with you. She closed the Joint. She got herself all dolled up and everything…" His voice drifted off as he began to understand his teammates' concern.

"Did something happen to her?" Jinpei asked, in a worried voice.

"We don't know." Joe said, "That's what we're trying to find out."

"She never showed up at the restaurant, and she's not answering her bracelet." Ken sighed, running his hand nervously through his hair. "And… I found some fresh blood on the floor of the Joint."

"When did you see her?" Joe interrogated the youth.

"At about six-thirty!" Jinpei replied nervously. "She was almost ready to leave. I… I shut my door… to give them some privacy… you know. Of course," his tone became slightly accusatory, "I just _assumed_ that Ken would come pick her up."

Joe sighed. The kid had a point, but this was hardly the time for a lecture on dating etiquette.

"You didn't hear anything?" Ken asked, ignoring Jinpei's comment.

"No… I had these on." Jinpei answered, gesturing to his headphones. "Onechan said that I could play all the Nintendo I wanted."

"What do you think happened to her?" he asked cautiously, shuffling his feet.

"I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to find out!" Ken growled. He left the room, Joe and Jinpei following behind him.

The bar was just as they had left it. Ken directed Jinpei to get a sample of the blood spots, while he and Joe looked at the back door. It had obviously been forced open.

"Damn!" Ken cried, slamming his fist into the doorframe. "I was just sitting there, in the restaurant, while Jun was…"

"We don't know what happened, Ken." Joe interjected. But his tone was worried. "I think we need to contact the Doctor."

Ken nodded. As he raised his bracelet to contact Dr. Nambu, he wondered how the evening that had been anticipating had turned into this nightmare.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jun groaned softly. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and her muscles ached as if she had been beaten within an inch of her life. The floor moved, and her body bounced slightly. It was enough to cause another wave of excruciating pain to crash through her.

To fight back the nausea that was rising in her stomach, Jun took slow, deep breaths. It also helped to calm her down, and she carefully allowed herself to assess her situation.

She appeared to be in some kind of moving vehicle… a van? A plane? Jun wasn't sure. Her wrists were bound to her ankles, behind her back, and the position was causing some nasty muscle cramps. A foul-tasting gag was in her mouth, and the air smelled thick, and sweet… kind of like chloroform, but more cloying. From her limited view, Jun was surprised not to see any bruises on her body. She had felt certain that she had been beaten. Then she remembered the electrical current moving through her body. She must be feeling the aftereffects of that.

Her bracelet! Where was it? Frantically, Jun tried to feel around for her bracelet, but was prevented from doing so by whatever was binding her wrists. She _thought_ she felt it on her arm, but she couldn't be sure.

Blinking, Jun realized that she was not alone. Three men sat toward the front of the vehicle, their backs to her. She was unable to see the driver, although she was barely able to make out another man in the passenger seat.

The men talked quietly among themselves, and Jun had to strain to make out any of their words. She had no idea why they had taken her, or where they were going.

As she stared, she realized that one of the men closest to her had her purse on his lap. He had tossed most of the contents aside (not that there was much… she wasn't used to carrying a purse around), but was looking through her wallet. He seemed to be especially interested in her driver's license.

"Jun Matsuo!" she heard him exclaim. "We definitely got the right girl."

"I hope so!" the man next to him grumbled, "The little bitch nearly took my foot off!" Jun recognized him as the man who had grabbed her from behind.

"Good thing you had that stun gun with you, Iwao." the man with Jun's ID said. "I didn't actually think we'd need it, but she was quite the little fighter. She must have taken some self-defense classes, or something."

Despite the pain that she was in, Jun smiled to herself. If only they knew.

"The name Jun means 'obedient', doesn't it?" smirked the one called Iwao. "I'd love to teach that one some _obedience_."

"You'd better not let Lord Katse hear you say that." the man with Jun's license replied. "He said that the girl was to be harmed as little as possible."

Katse! Was _he_ responsible for this? A cold knot of fear formed in Jun's chest. Had he discovered her civilian identity? Was that why he had had her abducted? But then, why hadn't they taken Jinpei as well?

"You guys certainly messed that up!" the driver laughed. "I saw your stun gun. That thing was set high enough to bring down an elephant!"

"Shut up!" hissed Iwao. "It wasn't _you_ she was fighting off. Besides, by the time we get back to the base, it will have worn off. If not, we can say that it was the sedative."

The others all agreed, and then the conversation switched to more mundane topics.

For the next hour, Jun tried her best to relax her muscles, both to ease the ache, and to have the best performance out of them, once she was freed of her bonds. The men did not speak much, but dozed for the rest of the trip.

Without warning, the vehicle came to a stop. The men got out of their seats, and Iwao turned to check on Jun.

"Hey, she's awake!" he leered, pulling her up to a form of kneeling position. Since her ankles were attached to her wrists, it wasn't very comfortable. Still, Jun gave as little resistance as possible. Best to let them think that she was still groggy, and that the fight had gone out of her.

"We'd better cut her ankles free." said the man holding her purse. "Otherwise Lord Katse will think we've mistreated her."

"You're right, Toru." Iwao admitted grudgingly. He pulled out a key and unlocked something behind Jun's back. She almost sighed with the relief of finally being able to pull her legs below her again.

"Stand up." Toru prodded Jun in the side. She stumbled for show, but managed to slowly raise herself to her full height. She kept her eyes downcast, to hide the fiery anger that lay behind them.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're finally living up to your name, Little Miss _Obedient_." Iwao smirked. "Let's get going!" He pushed Jun roughly in front of him, nearly knocking her back down to the ground.

Now that she could see more clearly, Jun realized that she had been in a small mecha transport plane. The plane was now docked inside some kind of hangar… no doubt part of the 'base' the men had been talking about.

A Devilstar approached the group. She eyed the men scathingly.

"What have you done?" she snapped. "The girl looks like she's been roughed up!"

"It wasn't our fault, Mistress!" Toru groveled. "She put up a fight, and we had to restrain her."

"Take off that ridiculous gag!" the Devilstar ordered. Quickly, the disgusting cloth was removed from Jun's head. She greedily gulped in mouthfuls of fresh air.

"Now," the Devilstar continued, raising Jun's chin with her hand, and looking into her face. "Have you been well-treated?"

"If you call being shot with a stun gun, and tied up for hours 'well-treated'." Jun muttered.

The Devilstar backhanded Taro across his face, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

"Imbeciles!" she cried. "Lord Katse will be sure to hear of this!"

The men began to shake.

"Get back in uniform, and wait for further instructions." the Devilstar commanded.

The men practically fell over themselves, running to obey.

Jun was left standing with her unexpected benefactor.

"I am Ayame." she introduced herself. "I presume that you are Jun Matsuo?"

"Yes." said Jun. She didn't see any point in denying her name, when the men had her driver's license to prove her civilian identity.

"I am sure that you are wondering why we brought you here." Ayame said. "All will be explained to you, very soon."

Jun simply nodded. She felt that it was best to play along, for the moment, until she had a chance to escape.

"Come with me, and we'll get you cleaned up." Ayame continued, leading Jun by the elbow from the room.

They walked together down a long corridor, taking various twists and turns, until they reached a door.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot." Ayame said, reaching for something in her belt pouch. She withdrew a needle, and expertly plunged it into Jun's arm.

Between her surprise, and the fact that her hands were still cuffed behind her back, Jun was unable to do much about this unwelcome attack on her person. She was afraid that she was being injected with another sedative, but when she awkwardly twisted her head to look, she saw that the needle was filling up with blood.

Galactor was taking a sample of her blood. But why?

Ayame saw the questioning look in her eyes.

"We need to confirm your identity." she stated, "In the meantime, you can freshen up in here. Haruka will take care of you."

Haruka turned out to be a woman wearing a Devilstar uniform, but without the mask. She looked to be in her early thirties, and had a slim, athletic build.

"Jun?" Haruka asked, gently.

"Yes." Jun replied.

"It's very nice to meet you." Haruka smiled. "I… I knew your mother. She was a friend of mine."

She tried, but Jun could not hide the look of shock on her face. Her _mother_?

"I can see that you're surprised." Haruka continued. "I expect that you know little, if anything, about Miyuki."

Jun nodded silently. Miyuki? Was that her mother's name? She had a million questions, but at the same time, she had to wonder if this was some bizarre, Galactor trick.

"First, you should rest." Haruka said. "Would you like a bath?"

It seemed like a million years ago when she had showered, in preparation for her dinner with Ken, although realistically, Jun knew it had only been a few hours. Still, the idea of washing the stink of those filthy goons from her skin was appealing.

"Yes, please." Jun responded.

"All right, then." Haruka smiled. "Let me get those off of you, and then you can clean up." She walked behind Jun, and pulled out a key, releasing the girl's restraints.

Jun rubbed her wrists gratefully. She looked around the room. It appeared to be some kind of living quarters. There was a twin bed against the wall, along with a utilitarian chair, and chest of drawers. A door opened onto a small, institutional-looking bathroom.

"This will be your room, while you are with us." Haruka said.

"And how long will that be?" Jun asked.

Haruka held Jun's gaze for a long moment, then turned away.

"That is for Lord Katse to determine." she admitted quietly.

"There are towels, and soap in the bathroom." Haruka offered, changing the subject. "I'll wait while you clean up."

"Thank you." Jun said politely, as she entered the bathroom. Looking around, she saw that there was no means of escape here. There were no windows: only a small vent, half the size of her head.

Well, she might as well make use of the facilities. Jun ran the hot water, and pulled off her clothes. She had spent so long deciding what to wear tonight, and in the end, it had made no difference. She wondered what Ken had thought, when she hadn't shown up at the restaurant. She hoped he hadn't assumed that she was standing him up.

How long would it take for the others to realize that she was missing? Suddenly, she realized that she was still wearing her bracelet. It had apparently been turned off, in the struggle with the goons back at the Snack. Quickly, Jun sent out a Birdscramble signal, but had to stop when Haruka poked her head in the door.

"Everything okay?" she asked. Jun could tell that she wasn't going to get any privacy, but she accepted that fact with as much grace as she could muster. At least they had given her a _female_ guard.

"Yes, thank you." Jun said, surreptitiously turning off her bracelet again. It wouldn't do to have a call come through from the team at the wrong moment. She wasn't certain that Galactor knew she was the Swan, and she didn't intend to blow her cover if she could possibly avoid it. The Birdscramble was quiet, but it did emit a soft beep. Jun couldn't risk being overheard.

Haruka left the room, but the door remained ajar. Gratefully, Jun stepped into the bath, soaking herself in the hot water. She let the warmth work its way through her muscles, taking away the aches and pains. After a few minutes, she was starting to feel like her normal self. She washed quickly, then stepped out of the bath, wrapping herself in a large, scratchy towel.

She found some clothing lying on top of the towels. Her would-be dinner outfit was gone. She donned the red pantsuit she had been given, amused to see the large Galactor logo on the back. At least the long sleeves hid her bracelet from view.

"Finished?" Haruka asked, from behind the door.

"Yes." Jun replied, walking into the room. "But, I don't suppose you have a brush?"

"Of course." Haruka pulled out the requested item from the chest of drawers and offered it to Jun.

"Thanks." Jun said, sitting down on the bed, brushing her hair.

"You're welcome." Haruka replied. She paused, as if she were trying to decide what to say. Slowly, she lowered herself into the chair, taking a deep breath.

"You look so much like her." Haruka said softly.

"Like… Miyuki?" Jun asked cautiously.

"Yes." Haruka nodded. "She… she was my best friend. We trained together."

"Trained?" Jun whispered, her face white. "You mean…"

"We trained for the Devilstars together." Haruka confirmed. "We worked together. In Galactor… you can't depend on anyone, but yourself. But Miyuki… I could depend on her. She watched my back, and I watched hers. We stood up for each other."

"I miss her terribly." Haruka sighed.

Jun's mind whirled. Was this Miyuki they were speaking of _really_ her mother? If she was, that might explain why she had been abducted. Galactor always held onto the children of Galactor agents. _No one_ was allowed to leave. Those who tried… well, Joe's parents were a prime example of that. If they thought that she was the child of a Galactor, then they would want her back.

Was it possible? They were unaware of her identity as the Swan, but wanted her because of her parentage?

"So… what happened to her?" Jun asked.

"She… left… a long time ago." Haruka whispered. "It's been nineteen years."

Jun was quiet. She guessed from Haruka's manner that the older woman would speak more if she wasn't interrupted.

Jun was right.

"When Miyuki discovered that she was pregnant," Haruka reminisced, "she was torn… She didn't want her baby to be a child of Galactor."

"So she… left." Haruka's eyes challenged Jun to contest her choice of words. Jun decided not to do so, although she had her doubts about the manner of Miyuki's departure.

"How did she leave?" Jun asked.

"That's not important." Haruka snapped, with a pointed look at Jun. But then her face softened. "What _is_ important is that _no one_ leaves Galactor. Anyone who tries to do so is… dealt with."

Jun nodded silently. She remembered the night that Joe had told her about his parents. He had been so young… and apparently he had suppressed the memory for years, until Ken had forced him to recall the events of that terrible day. Jun had held Joe against her breast, as he sobbed for the parents he had barely had a chance to know. In his grief, he hadn't even realized where he was, but he had relived that day… those terrifying moments… in her arms. She had been horrified at his tale: the way he had come across the freshly murdered bodies of his parents... the callous manner in which the Devilstar responsible had thrown a rose bomb at four-year-old Joe, leaving him for dead.

Had this been the fate of Miyuki as well?

Haruka seemed lost in her own thoughts, not seeming to notice Jun's lack of verbal response to her tale.

"Before Miyuki left," Haruka revealed, "she and I were the ones responsible for… dealing with… those who tried to leave Galactor. There was no mission in which we did not succeed. No one who could escape us."

"I was assigned to find Miyuki." Haruka admitted, "But I could not. She knew how to hide. She knew what we were looking for. And she was able to vanish without a trace." The expression on Haruka's face was almost… envious?

"So, Galactor never found her?" Jun asked.

"No."

"But… something must have changed." Jun prodded. Her presence in this God-forsaken Galactor base, Haruka's discussion of events nearly two decades old… these things implied as much.

"Yes." Haruka sighed. "About two months ago, the curator of a home for unwed teen mothers near Mt. Jupiter, passed away. Her private records became… available… to Galactor."

Jun took a deep breath. She had grown up at an orphanage on Mt. Jupiter.

"It was discovered that Miyuki had delivered her baby there." Haruka went on. "Unfortunately, it was also discovered that she had died in childbirth. Apparently there had been complications during labor, but Miykui had refused to be taken to a hospital."

"But why?" The words burst forth from Jun's lips.

"Galactor could have found her through her hospital records." Haruka explained. "She knew that. She refused treatment, to protect her baby."

"I see…" Jun quavered slightly under the older woman's unflinching gaze.

"It took a week for Galactor to discover that the baby, a girl, had been taken to a local orphanage, and named Jun Matsuo by its administrator." Haruka said. "It took almost two months more to locate a girl with that name, of the right age… in Utoland."

"So, you think _I_ am Miyuki's daughter?" Jun asked. It was a stupid question, obviously they did.

""I didn't know, when I first heard about it." admitted Haruka. "But looking at you now… you look so much like her. Come and see." She invited Jun over to look at a small computer console embedded in the wall.

Jun nervously walked over, only to see that Haruka had pulled up some kind of personnel file.

There was a picture.

Jun stared at the image. A young woman, just about her own age, stared back at her. There were resemblances. She had the same brilliant green eyes that Jun did, and the same lustrous ebony hair. But there were differences too. This woman's skin was darker, and her lips were thin and tight. Most unsettling of all, she had a defeated look on her face, almost as if she were resigned to living in her own personal hell.

Still, this woman could have been Jun's sister.

Or her mother.

It was definitely possible.

Jun was so involved in the image in front of her that she barely noticed the door to the room opening. It was only when Ayame spoke that she jumped up, acknowledging the presence of the other Devilstar.

"Is she the one?" Ayame asked haughtily.

"I believe so." Haruka admitted. "The resemblance is quite remarkable."

Ayame leaned over Jun's shoulder to look at the screen.

"I agree." she stated. "But we will find out for certain, soon enough."

"In the meantime," Ayame added, turning to address Jun directly, "Lord Katse wants to see you."

"Lord… Katse?" Jun asked, unable to keep a hint of fear from her voice. If Galactor had abducted her, believing her to be the child of a former Devilstar, they probably didn't know that she was the Swan. But what if Katse recognized her?

"Yes." confirmed Ayame. "He is waiting for you… now." She held Jun's arm and nodded to Haruka, who brought the wrist restraints. The two women cuffed Jun's hands behind her back.

"Come." Ayame ordered Jun, in a tone that brooked no resistance.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ken walked the length of the conference room yet again, his stride lengthening with each step he took. His frustration was eating away at him. It had been hours since Jun had disappeared, and they were still no closer to finding her. Instead, he was forced to wait at ISO headquarters, relying on _someone else_ to find a trace of his third.

It was this that angered Ken the most: that _he_ was not the one out there, doing something. Because… he had nothing to do. No leads to go on. No idea where Jun might be.

He reached the end of the room and spun on the ball of his foot, his irritation showing itself in his sharp movements.

"Cool your jets, Ken!" Joe grumbled, "You're wearing a hole in the carpet!"

Ken didn't respond to Joe's comment, and merely flashed him an angry look. As he did, he noticed Jinpei in the corner of the room. The boy was sitting on the floor, his knees pulled up to his chest, despair written across his face. In his own way, Jinpei was taking this as hard as Ken was.

Joe was frustrated too. He felt like punching a hole in the wall, just to release some of his pent-up aggression. His left hand cradled the fist made by his right, squeezing it in a vain attempt to satisfy his urge to hurt someone, or something. If Ken paced by him one more time, Joe was going to lose it.

Fortunately, Ken was saved by the arrival of Dr. Nambu. The Doctor entered the room quietly, then placed both hands on the conference table, leaning on it for support. His head was bowed.

"We haven't been able to locate Jun." he said quietly, "But we have every available agent out looking for her."

"Is that enough, Hakase?" Ken protested. "Are we really doing everything we can to find Jun?"

"For the moment, yes." Nambu replied. "Until we find some sign of her, there's not much else we can do."

"What about the blood spots we found at the Snack??" Joe asked, "Was it Jun's?"

"No." confirmed the Doctor. "It is not Jun's, and we were unable to find a match in the ISO database."

Jinpei gave an audible sigh of relief. He had been deathly afraid that his Onechan had been hurt. At least now there was always the hope that she had just run off, and would come back again, of her own accord.

Joe gave into his anger and punched a chair. It spun around, mocking him with its resilience to his attack.

"Damn!" he muttered, "If we just had something… _anything_… to go on!"

Nambu sighed, and left the room again. He couldn't bear to see his team… his sons… so angry. It made it that much harder for him to contain his own despair.

Ken resumed his pacing. He understood exactly how Joe felt. It was one thing to have Jun disappear, and another to feel so… helpless.

And then he saw a flash of colored light. A quick glance around the room showed that Joe and Jinpei had seen it too. A soft beeping accompanied the signal.

"Birdscramble!" Jinpei cried joyously, "It's Onechan!"

Relief washed over Ken like a tidal wave. At last! Now they had something to go on. Even Joe was smiling.

Jinpei removed his bracelet, and was just about to trace the signal when it stopped.

The silence in the room was deafening. It was as if Ken could still hear the echo of the last Birdscramble beep, long after it had died out. How long had the signal lasted? Two seconds? Three? Five? Certainly not long enough to trace.

This time, Joe pounded on the table. At least it emitted a satisfying thud.

"What happened?" Jinpei asked quietly. They all had the same question. Why would Jun send a Birdscramble, and then discontinue it almost immediately? Since Birdscrambles were only used in case of emergency, what did that mean if the signal were terminated so quickly?

"I'm sure she's fine, Squirt." Joe tried to placate Jinpei, but it was a poor attempt. This wasn't his forte.

"She contacted us." Ken said, his voice sounding much calmer than he actually felt, "She'll contact us again."

As if in answer to his silent prayer, Ken's bracelet lit up again.

"This is G-5."

It was Ryu. In all of the excitement, they had forgotten that he was visiting his family. Ken sighed. He didn't really want to go over this again, but Ryu deserved to know.

"This is G-1." he responded, Joe and Jinpei staring at him.

"I just got a Birdscramble." Ryu reported, "But only for a few seconds. What's going on? Is this some kind of test?"

Ken hung his head. It took an enormous effort to speak calmly into his bracelet.

"It's not a test. G-3 is missing. G-5, you need to get back here, right away."

"I'm on my way. I'll be there by morning!" Ryu replied, his tone serious.

Jinpei looked from Ken to Joe, and back again, the cold reality of the situation hitting him like a slap in the face. Ken wouldn't have recalled Ryu if this hadn't been serious.

"We'll find her." Ken promised the boy, his voice like ice. "We'll find her if we have to tear this planet apart with our bare hands."

88888

Jun did her best to remain calm as Ayame walked her down the corridors of the Galactor base, but her panic was threatening to overwhelm her. She remembered when she had purposely walked into a Galactor trap, after they had found her lost shoe. She had come so close to being forced to show her face to Katse. She had escaped, but now… if Katse wanted to look at her, there wasn't much she could do about it. Her one thin hope was that since he wasn't _thinking_ of her as the Swan, that he wouldn't see her as such.

Ayame was silent as she led Jun to a door. As it opened, Jun was surprised to see that she was not in a control room, or computer center, but in a bedroom.

She revised that thought. It wasn't so much a bedroom, as a hospital-style room. Medical equipment and bio-monitors lined the room. An institutional-looking bed occupied a corner of the room, and inside the bed, Jun saw a flash of purple.

Suddenly, Jun recalled the rumors that had reached the ISO. Katse really _was_ ill! And it must be serious, if he couldn't even get out of bed.

Ayame tugged at her arm, and she realized that she had stopped moving. She reluctantly moved her feet again, hanging her head so that her hair covered her face.

"This is the girl, Sire." Ayame said, bowing.

A slim, red glove emerged from underneath the sheets, beckoning to Jun. For a second, she imagined that it was the hand of the Devil himself.

"I want to see her." rasped a voice. It was familiar to Jun, and yet not. This was more… frail… than she recalled.

Ayame shoved her toward the bed, and Jun shuffled forward, her head still bent low, in a vain attempt to avoid his gaze.

It didn't work.

"Show yourself!" commanded the voice. It was stronger this time, although it was obviously an effort for him to speak.

When Jun didn't move, Ayame gently, but firmly, pulled back her hair.

Jun stared at an all-too-familiar purple mask. One she had come to dread. But… it wasn't frightening now. The eyes behind it were weak, and tired, and its edges gaped, as if the person wearing it wasn't the true owner.

Suddenly Jun realized… it was not that this wasn't Katse… he was just painfully thin. He had a look of emaciation, even under his mask.

She had forgotten to be nervous, in her examination of the Galactor Leader. While she had been studying him, he had been studying her.

"Does she look… familiar?" Ayame asked.

"It's hard to say…" Katse replied, "Perhaps…"

A goon, wearing a white lab coat over his green uniform, entered the room, presenting a sheaf of papers to Ayame.

"The test results, Mistress." he said, softly, not wanting to disturb Lord Katse.

Ayame dismissed him with a flick of her finger, then perused the report.

Katse raised his eyes, then fixed them on the Devilstar with an impatient glare.

"Well?" he cried, "What does it say?"

"She is the one." Ayame said, bowing slightly as she spoke. "It has been confirmed."

"And?" Katse asked excitedly.

"She is a match." Ayame replied.

A match? A match for what? Jun's head spun with unanswered questions. They had confirmed that she was Miyuki's daughter, but what was she a match for?

A terrible thought entered her head… did they somehow have samples of the Science Ninja Team's DNA? Had they discovered her true identity? She began to shake in fear.

"Excellent." Katse said softly, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. "When can we begin?"

Another lab-coated goon stepped forward.

"You must undergo three days of prepatory treatments, Sire." he offered.

"Then let's get started!" Katse raged. "I've waited long enough, already!"

He turned to Jun with an evil smile.

"So…Jun Matsuo." he sneered, "You are of use to me. In three days, you will provide me with what I need."

"I don't understand…" Jun whispered.

"Lord Katse is ill." Ayame explained, after a nod from the Galactor Leader. "He requires an infusion of fresh bone marrow."

"Mine?" asked Jun, shocked.

"The chances of finding a random match are astronomical. We have already searched the public databanks, and tested everyone who is a part of Galactor." Ayame continued, ignoring Jun's question. "But you… you are a match."

"But… why me?" Jun blurted out, "What makes me so special?"

"It's simple." Katse laughed, his voice almost as strong as Jun remembered.

"You are my daughter."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Hi." mumbled Joe, looking at the ground as Ryu greeted him at the train station. "Let's get going."

Ryu grabbed Joe by the arm, and turned him around to look in his eyes.

"Tell me, Joe." he growled. "I've spent six hours on a train, thinking up the worst possible scenarios. I want to know how bad it really is!"

The expression on Joe's face told Ryu what he needed to know.

"In the car." said Joe quietly. Ryu followed him outside, to the de-transmuted G-2, and got inside. The moment the doors closed, he spoke.

"Well?" Ryu demanded.

As he drove, Joe explained the little they knew. There were no leads, no sign of Jun. There had been no further contact, Birdscramble or otherwise.

Ryu's usually jocular face bore a grim expression.

"And Jinpei?" he asked, "How's he taking this?"

"Hard." replied Joe. "He's not saying much."

Ryu nodded, his immediate concern being for the youngest member of the Science Ninja Team. He looked upon Jinpei almost like a little brother. In fact, in many ways, Jinpei was more like a brother to him than Seiji. Certainly over the past few years, he had spent much more time with Jinpei than his 'real' brother.

"Take me to Jun's… the Joint." Ryu said, to which Joe simply nodded.

Ryu tried to think of what he would say to Jinpei; how he would ease his mind. He couldn't think of anything. But he knew that Jinpei needed someone to talk to, now, more than ever.

Joe pulled up outside of the Snack J, the closed sign showing through the front door. Ryu had been expecting to find Jinpei inside, in his room, but instead he saw him standing with Ken, outside the Joint.

"Ryu!" cried Jinpei happily, launching himself at the large man. Skinny arms and legs wrapped themselves around Ryu's midsection, as the Owl tried his best to comprehend Jinpei's unexpectedly good mood.

Ken was grinning from ear to ear, as well.

"What's going on?" Joe asked suspiciously.

"Someone called in an anonymous tip to the Police last night." Ken explained. "They saw a group of men carrying an unconscious woman out of the Snack J. Hakase heard about it this morning."

Joe nodded. It was a lead, and the best one they had had so far.

"Where were they going?" he asked.

"The men apparently put the woman in the trunk of a car." Ken revealed, his eyes glittering in anger. "But we have a description. It was a red, late-model, Japanese sedan, with white racing stripes."

"Well, what are we doing, standing here, then?" Joe asked excitedly.

"Waiting for you!" Ken grinned. "I figured you guys would want to help us search for it."

"I'm on it, Ken!" Ryu exclaimed.

Within ten minutes, the team had transmuted into Birdstyle, and was scouting the area in their individual G-machines. Another advantage of this information was that they now had a defined search area, based on the potential distance the car could travel, in the time since Jun's apparent abduction.

After a few hours, Joe found himself on the outskirts of the city. So far, he hadn't had any luck, but he wasn't going to give up now. They had a good lead, and he knew that none of them would rest until they had exhausted its full potential.

Speeding through the countryside surrounding Utoland City, Joe thought he saw something at the corner of his eye. Executing a quick turn, he reversed the direction of the G-2, leaving a black swath of rubber, and a few angry motorists, behind him.

Yes… it was _definitely_ red. Joe locked his gaze on the patch of color among the wild grasses that lined the freeway. Pulling up next to it, he jumped out and examined the scene.

It was the car they had been looking for: a red sedan, with white racing stripes. And the trunk was open.

It was obvious that the car had been abandoned. Still, Joe cautiously searched the area to confirm this fact. Once he was certain he was alone, he called on his bracelet.

"This is G-2." he reported, "I've found it." He sent out a homing signal from his communicator.

"This is G-5. I'm close to your position, G-2." Ryu came in. "I'll be there in five."

Joe received similar acknowledgements from Jinpei and Ken, although they were on the other side of the city, and would take a bit longer to get to him.

While he was waiting, Joe examined the car. He was no forensics expert, but he had had a modicum of training in that area, as had all of the Science Ninjas. He popped the hood, and noted that the car was not well-maintained. Nothing irritated Joe more than a perfectly good car being left to rot, because of the laziness of the owner. Okay, there were things that irritated him more, but that was near the top of the list.

Sighing, he moved back to the open trunk. There was nothing inside, but… what was that?

He saw an exposed bolt on the floor of the trunk. Something was stuck on it. Leaning down, Joe carefully unwound a few strands of long, black hair that had been caught on the metal.

Grimacing, he put the hairs away, so that Dr. Nambu could analyze them later.

"Damn!" he heard Ryu call from his bracelet. "G-2, you'd better look at this. Check your monitor."

Joe jumped into the G-2 and turned on his viewscreen, staring at the image Ryu was sending. His heart sank.

From the aerial view Ryu was afforded by the God Phoenix, Joe could see the red car, as well as the surrounding meadow. About twenty meters away from the car was an extremely large patch of flattened grass. A pattern had been marked into the ground, and Joe recognized it immediately.

It had been the landing site for a Galactor transport plane.

Damn it all to Hell.

88888

_Daughter. Daughter. Daughter. Daughter._

The word ran through Jun's mind, over and over again, until it was just a sound that no longer had any meaning. If only Jun could dismiss Katse's claim so easily.

It might be a trap, but then, Jun didn't get the feeling that Galactor knew who she _really_ was. Katse's illness… the need for a donor… the recent information that allowed them to locate her… it all made sense. If they really thought she was the Swan, Galactor wouldn't bother with something so elaborate, especially after she was already their prisoner.

Jun's only hope was that perhaps… just perhaps… they had gotten their facts wrong. The lab tests had been corrupted, somehow. And now she had yet another reason for wanting to escape… she had to get back to the ISO, and have Dr. Nambu check this out himself. His findings were the only ones she would truly trust.

Still stunned, Jun realized that she and Ayame had reached the room Jun had been taken to, before. Haruka was still inside, and she jumped up at their arrival.

"Is she…" Haruka started to speak.

"Yes." Ayame interrupted. "The tests confirmed it. She is a match."

Haruka bowed, a small smile on her face.

"Fortune favors us then, that we have found the girl we needed, just as Lord Katse was…"

"That's enough!" Ayame snapped. "Fortune had nothing to do with it! Galactor used its formidable resources to locate her. Your should be praising the hard work and dedication of our operatives!"

"Yes, you are right, Ayame." Haruka said, inclining her head slightly, her face taking on a pinched look at the reprimand.

"Lord Katse needs three days to prepare for the treatment." Ayame said, "You will remain with her, during that time period."

"Yes, Ayame." Haruka replied meekly.

"She is _never_ to be left alone." Ayame stated firmly.

"I understand." Haruka said.

Ayame didn't even bother to acknowledge Haurka's statement, but turned instead to Jun.

"I trust you will be comfortable, while you wait… Jun." she smiled. Jun was unable to determine the meaning behind her words. Was Ayame actually trying to be… polite?

With a sudden flash of comprehension, Jun understood. If she were Katse's daughter, then it was possible Ayame assumed that she might one day be a higher-up in Galactor… someone worthy of the Devilstar's respect.

Jun smiled to herself. It would almost be worth attaining such a position, if only to have the opportunity to dismantle Galactor from within. But that kind of subterfuge wasn't Jun's style.

And for the moment, she was completely focused on getting the hell out of here.

"Would you like something to eat?" asked Haruka, as she released the restraints from Jun's wrists.

It had been hours since Jun had eaten… a day? She didn't know how much time had passed since she had been abducted, but suddenly Jun realized that her stomach was grumbling. The mere mention of food was enough to make her recognize that she was famished.

"Yes, please!" Jun grinned. Haruka grinned back, and brought forth a tray of food. Lacking a proper place to sit, Jun lowered herself to the floor and began to eat.

The fare reminded Jun of her high school cafeteria, but she was so hungry, it didn't matter. She ate everything, almost embarrassed at how quickly it disappeared. She smiled to herself as she realized that she was doing a fine impersonation of Ryu.

Jun stifled a yawn with the back of her hand, wondering how long it had been since she had last slept properly.

Boy, she really was tired. Jun had a hard time rising from her Lotus position, even just to stumble over to the bed. Her limbs felt heavy, like they were full of wet sand.

"You… drugged… me…" Jun accused Haruka. The older woman sighed, but held Jun's gaze.

"I have orders." she explained.

That was the last thing Jun heard, before she passed out on the bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Blinking, Jun realized that Haruka was sitting in a chair, next to her bed.

"How long… have I been out?" she asked, her mouth feeling like it was full of cotton.

"A couple of days." Haruka replied. "You will undergo your procedure tomorrow morning."

Jun was helped out of bed, and to the bathroom, where once again she found that she did not rate any privacy. Defying her captor, she asked for a bath.

"Of course." Haruka smiled. "I already got some towels and soap ready."

Jun didn't linger, but took advantage of the situation to observe Haruka. The older woman still was not wearing her mask, although she remained in her Devilstar uniform. Her face was… tired. Her demeanor was almost familiar. Then Jun knew: Haruka's face bore the same resigned expression that her mother's had, when she had seen the image of Miyuki.

"So… what's it like… working for Galactor?" Jun asked, breaking the silence.

Haruka seemed startled, and it was clear that she hadn't expected the question.

"It's…" she searched for words. "It takes you over. It is all-consuming. There is no time for anything not related to the benefit of Galactor."

"But… do you _enjoy_ it?" Jun pressed.

"Enjoyment is not relevant." Haruka replied, with a mocking smile. "What is important is my loyalty to Galactor. And that is not in question."

"And what do you do for Galactor?" Jun asked steadily. "What tasks do you perform? Do you still 'deal with' people who try to leave?"

"No." Haruka said quietly. Her hands gripped the stool she was sitting on so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "I have the lowest rank among the Devilstars. I perform the tasks the others find too low for them to attempt."

"Like, babysitting me?" Jun asked with a wink.

"Yes…" Haruka laughed. "You're right about that. Ayame ordered me to watch you. I don't think she even considered anyone else."

"So… what happened?" Jun asked. "Shouldn't you have some… seniority?"

"It was Miyuki's disappearance." Haruka admitted. "When I couldn't find her, they assumed that I had helped her."

Jun's eyes asked the question, but Haruka turned away.

"Why?" Jun asked softly.

"Because… she was my friend." Haruka said softly.

Both women knew which question had just been answered.

"Miyuki was the best friend… the only friend… I have ever had." Haruka sighed, turning back to look at Jun. "But they never found any proof of disloyalty on my part. Still, as an _example_, I lost most of my status within the Galactor Organization."

"I see…" Jun said. This was very interesting. She hadn't known that demotion was even possible within Galactor. She had always just assumed that anyone who didn't perform properly was executed.

"They gave my old job to Ayame." Haruka continued. "She had just become a Devilstar, and was eager to prove herself. She took on the job that it had taken _both_ Miyuki and myself to accomplish."

"Ayame became the one who chased down Galactor defectors?" Jun asked.

Haruka twisted her mouth sourly at Jun's choice of words, but chose not to comment.

"Yes." she replied. "After Miyuki disappeared, a number of families attempted to follow her example. Ayame was responsible for meting out justice to our most notorious of renegades: the Metzingers, the Yamotos, the Asakuras, the Chauberts… she dealt with them all."

Jun had stopped listening. The Asakuras… _Ayame_ was the one who had murdered Joe's parents? For a moment her chest felt blocked, and she could hardly breathe. Jun knew that whatever happened, she had to pass this information on to Joe. He had sworn revenge against Galactor, and it was eating him up inside. Perhaps if he had a concrete target, he could…

Jun realized with a start that she was planning Ayame's murder. Not that it bothered her so much, but it was strange… she was starting to put names and identities to what had previously been faceless Galactor minions, yet she still had no compunctions about killing them in cold blood. Was she just as monstrous as they had always claimed Katse was?

"And now, Ayame is the leader of the Devilstars." Haruka finished, unaware that Jun had not been listening. "She has grown more powerful over the years, and holds onto her position with amazing tenacity."

"But you don't like her." Jun said, her mind still half thinking about Joe's parents.

"It is not necessary to like her." Haruka replied, startled. "All that is necessary is to obey."

Jun nodded. She could see that she had run into the wall of Galactor indoctrination. The bathwater was getting cold, and she reached for the towel, stepping out of the tub. Haruka ran to retrieve fresh clothing, relieved that this topic of conversation had been closed.

Less than a minute later, Jun was dressed and brushing her hair, under Haruka's supervision. She was about to speak when the door to the room opened.

"Jun, you need to come with me." Ayame stated. It was not a request.

Haruka moved swiftly, grabbing Jun's wrist restraints, and helping Ayame bind her arms.

Jun was nervous. What now? Haruka had said that her _procedure_ wasn't until tomorrow morning. Was she about to see Katse again?

"Where are we going?" Jun asked, not certain she would receive an answer.

"You have been summoned by Leader X." Ayame said quietly, walking her charge down the hallway. It took a few moments for Jun to realize that the Devilstar was trembling.

Leader X… Jun had only encountered him once before, in the Himalayas. After the experience, the Science Ninja Team had even wondered if it had been real… perhaps they had all been under some kind of mass suggestion?

Whatever the case, it certainly seemed real now. Jun recalled the way the… thing… had seemed to reach right into her mind. She had to resist. She _had_ to. It was her only chance.

Jun was brought into some kind of chamber. There was no furniture, only a cold, metal floor. Computer panels lined the sides of the room, and at the far end was a giant oval, rimmed by a thick layer of black. It almost looked like… an eye? Rectangles of white light were arranged in the blackness, culminating in a giant circle in the center, forming a kind of 'pupil' for the 'eye'. The circle was filled with some kind of orange-yellow flames, but they didn't look natural.

The room was dark, only illuminated by the white lights and flickering flames of the eye. Jun glanced over at Ayame's face.

The Devilstar was terrified.

"What…" Jun wasn't sure what to ask, "What should I do?"

"I don't know..." Ayame muttered, "I have never seen Leader X before… usually it is only Lord Katse who speaks to him."

But Katse was ill. He could barely get out of his bed. No wonder Ayame was nervous. This was her first opportunity to meet the Supreme Leader of Galactor.

This fact certainly didn't make Jun feel any more at ease, either.

A blob of blue appeared in the center of the flames, quickly lengthening and shaping itself into a kind of… oval? Diamond? Jun wasn't sure. And then, a face appeared.

It was the face that had haunted Jun's dreams for weeks, after that encounter in the Himalayas. Not human… almost bird-like… incredibly, overwhelmingly powerful…

Ayame fell to her knees, bowing her head.

"You have done well, bringing me the child of Berg Katse." the entity said. Its voice was harsh, and rasping, filling the room, as well as Jun's mind.

"I live to serve, Sire." Ayame replied.

The thing's eyes moved, focusing on Jun. She was still standing, and staring at the entity. Her fear had been forgotten in her curiosity, her need to understand. It was this quality that made her an excellent Information Officer for the team.

But now, it made her the object of scrutiny.

"Jun Matsuo." Leader X said, "Do you understand who I am?"

"You are the leader of Galactor." Jun replied, hesitatingly. She wasn't entirely sure what was required of her.

"You are the only one of Katse's offspring to reach adulthood." the entity continued, as if it hadn't heard Jun's answer. "The only one I have not tested…"

As the words were spoken, Jun felt something invading her mind. She fell to her knees, screaming, desperately trying to clutch at her head, but unable to do so, because of the restraints.

Jun knew she had to fight, to prevent this… thing… from learning her secrets. She focused her entire being on locking her mind away… behind a wall where Leader X could not reach.

To her surprise, she felt it withdraw. And then, Leader X did something even more horrifying.

He laughed.

It was a terrifying sound, and one that reverberated throughout the chamber, hitting a slightly dissonant frequency in Jun's body. She felt as if her flesh was on the verge of being torn apart, just from that sound.

"Your feeble attempts to lock me out of your mind are laughable." taunted Leader X, "Still, the fact that you were even capable of initiating such a thing… you show great potential, Jun Matsuo."

"I don't want your kind of potential!" Jun spat, "I want nothing to do with you!" She spoke on impulse, from her heart, and did not consider her words in advance.

"You are worthy…" Leader X mused. "You have a single-minded intensity about you, and more importantly, you have what _I_ need."

"What… what do you need?" Jun asked, curious and fearful at the same time.

"Katse has a… unique… DNA." the entity explained. ""He has what I require, although not in large amounts. I have… modified him… for my purposes."

Modified? What did that mean? Jun was afraid that she was about to find out.

"But you, Jun Matsuo," X continued, "You are even better suited to my needs. You have Katse's DNA, but you have… evolved… into something more."

Once more, the presence reached into her mind, and this time, Jun was unable to stop it. She reached out with her thoughts, desperately trying to contact the one person who had always been there for her.

"_Ken_!" her mind cried out.

And then, the consciousness of Leader X overwhelmed her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Ken threw the wrench on the ground, watching as it bounced against the wall of his hangar. He couldn't put his frustration into words. It ate at the very core of him. He had tried to take his mind off of it by performing some maintenance on his plane, but so far, it hadn't been working. His thoughts remained obsessed with sparkling emerald eyes, and a tinkling laugh.

Ken sighed, sinking onto the floor, wiping at his forehead with a greasy rag.

Jun had been missing for almost three days. The team's initial excitement, at discovering that someone had seen Jun being taken from the Snack J, had given way to despair, when that information had led to a dead end.

Joe had discovered the abandoned car, and had found some of Jun's hair in its trunk. Lab testing had confirmed that it was hers.

But most troublesome of all was the knowledge that she had likely been taken by Galactor. The unmistakable markings of the mecha transport plane… that had worried everyone on multiple levels.

Dr. Nambu had ordered everyone to stay at the Crescent Coral Base. The Snack J had been closed down, and Jinpei wasn't allowed to return. The Doctor hadn't said anything, but Ken knew that he was worried. If Galactor had found Jun, at the Snack, how much longer would it be before they found the rest of the Science Ninja Team?

Technically, Ken wasn't even supposed to be at the airstrip, but he had just needed to get out of the Crescent Base, if only for a few hours. The walls were closing in on him there, and he had thought that some fresh air would help.

But instead of relaxing, Ken found himself throwing his tools at the wall.

They hadn't been able to find any indication of where the transport plane might have gone. So now they were certain that Jun had been abducted by Galactor, but had no idea where she was being held, or even if she were still alive.

That was the thought that haunted Ken the most. If Galactor hadn't used her as a lure to trap the rest of the team, then what had they done to her? Images of Jun… raped, battered, abused, tortured… they haunted his nights, preventing him from sleeping. His inability, to do anything to help her, gnawed at his heart. He was forced to sit idly by, while Jun was… no. He couldn't think about it anymore. If only he were actually able to wipe these desperate thoughts from his mind.

What was Jun doing? How was she coping? She had her bracelet, but she wasn't able to transmute into the Swan, as her civilian clothes had been left at home. Ken knew that was _his_ fault. _He_ had been the one to suggest that they go out to dinner, and Jun had gotten dressed up. Jinpei said that she had been looking forward to meeting him. Instead, she had met up with Galactor.

Every moment of the day, Ken waited for another signal from Jun. He found himself unconsciously staring at his bracelet, as if willing a Birdscramble to appear, or better yet, the sound of Jun's voice, over the comm. channel. Ken leaned back against the plane's nose wheel, not caring that the dirt on the tire was transferring itself onto the back of his t-shirt. He closed his eyes, concentrating on Jun, wondering where she was at that very moment, praying to an unknown God for some sign… anything… to prove that she was still out there, and would come back to the Science Ninja Team… to _him_.

The sun was going down, and in the darkening twilight, Ken made a silent promise to himself. If Jun came back… _when_ Jun came back… he was going to tell her how he felt. He wanted to share his sunsets with _her_, not experience them with this desperate loneliness, as he was right now.

If only Jun would return… he wouldn't ever let her go again.

He felt a modicum of comfort from the thought. This was as close to a peaceful moment as he had had, since Jun had disappeared. Perhaps the fresh air _had_ done him some good.

An image of Jun filled his mind, but instead of the horrifying dreams of the past few nights, this time she was laughing, calling to him…

"Ken… Ken… _Ken!_"

Ken sat bolt upright, banging his head on the underside of the plane. For a second there, it had almost sounded like Jun was in his mind. Her call, which had started out happy and teasing, had suddenly become desperate and terrified.

He wasn't sure why, but it had almost felt like Jun was communicating with him. She needed him. Now!

But where was she? How could he help her if he couldn't find her?

Ken screamed in frustration, his cries echoing off the corrugated metal walls of the hangar.

"Jun!"

88888

This time, Jun awoke in some kind of hospital room. An IV drip was taped to her arm, and her lower back ached something fierce. Bolts of pain shot through her when she tried to move slightly.

"Don't move too much." a voice told her. "You should be feeling some pain where the bone marrow was extracted."

So that was it… they had made her a donor… to save Katse's life. A tear trickled down Jun's face. She had failed. She had been unable to resist Leader X. She had been unable to escape. And now… she had actually been the means to Katse's recovery.

Jun turned her head slightly, her eyes reflecting her despair. Haruka saw the expression on her charge's face, and took pity on the girl.

"It is all right…" she said soothingly, patting Jun's shoulder gently. "The transplant was a success. Lord Katse is improving already."

Jun bit her lip to keep from crying out. If the operation had been a success, then Galactor had been right. She _was_ a match… she _must_ be related to Katse. She sobbed openly, not caring what the Devilstar might think of her.

"I can see that the pain, and medications have taken a toll on you." Haruka sympathized, "Not to mention your… audience… with Leader X."

Leader X! What had he done to her? Jun needed to know. All she remembered was that overwhelming sense of helplessness, as the entity invaded her brain.

"What happened… with Leader X?" she asked weakly. "What did he do to me?"

"I don't know." Haruka admitted. "You were carried out of his audience chamber, unconscious. Ayame did not tell me anything, but then, that's not unusual."

"You were in a dream-like state." Haruka continued, "And then you were sedated for the extraction procedure. Actually, I had been hoping _you_ could tell _me_ what had happened."

"He… it… entered my mind." Jun tried to explain. "That's the last thing I remember."

"I'm sure it will come back to you…" Haruka replied, in a tone that implied that she wasn't sure at all.

"Perhaps…" Jun was doubtful. But maybe, with Dr. Nambu's help… she _had_ to get out of here. If only they would leave her alone for a second, without drugging her, so that she could send a damn Birdscramble!

Or… Haruka was an older woman. Still young, all things considered, but in her late 30s. Was she a match for the Swan, even out of uniform? But then, was Jun in fighting condition? The incredible ache in her back said she wasn't, but her burning desire to escape, her need to see the team… to see Ken… again, said that she was.

But there was something she had to know, first.

"Haruka," Jun asked, "Tell me how Berg Katse came to be my father."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

He was still weak, but at least he was able to stand in Leader X's presence once again. Katse's recovery had so far been incredible in its pace. He was much closer to his old self than any of the doctors had predicted. This Jun Matsuo had been a miracle… and he owed his life to her. Berg Katse did not like to owe anyone, and would certainly never admit to any such feelings, but this emotion weighed heavily on his mind.

Katse knew that the girl had been unwilling. He had seen it in her face when she had been brought into his sickroom. Not that it mattered. His agents had seen to it that she was kept sedated, until the procedure could be implemented. His modified DNA had apparently been passed on to her, and her tissue had proved to have incredible regenerative powers in his body.

The fact that she was his offspring was irrelevant, except in that this made her a perfect donor. Katse saw no room for emotional sentiment, especially when it could only cloud his judgment. Certainly he had had no especial feelings for the mother. Why should the daughter be any different?

And now, he could resume his former position with Leader X. Inside, Katse exulted, and leapt for joy. Outside, he allowed himself only a self-satisfied smirk. He lived for X's approval, and now he was able to pursue that goal once again. These past few weeks, the Earth had grown complacent, thinking Galactor defeated. But he would show them that they had been wrong. Berg Katse had plans, and they included the complete destruction of the Science Ninja Team.

"Leader!" Katse greeted X, "I have returned!"

The alien entity manifested itself on the wall of the chamber.

"So I see, Berg Katse." it replied. "Are you ready to resume your duties?"

"Yes, Sire." Katse bowed respectfully, trying not to wince from pain as he did so. "Let me tell you of my plans to conquer the Earth."

"And what makes you think that _these_ plans will be any more successful than your previous attempts?" sneered X. "Your performance record so far has been miserable, at best, Katse."

"But, Sire!" Katse protested, "I can do better! I know I can! Why, the Science Ninja Team will fall before me!"

"Somehow, I doubt that, Katse." X sounded almost bored. "Which is why, as soon as possible, you shall be replaced."

"Replaced?" screeched Katse. This was the last thing he had expected. How could he be replaced? There was no one else whose physical makeup was conducive to Leader X's mind powers… except…

The reason _why_ he had sired offspring in the first place returned to Katse in a flood of memory. No… it couldn't be…

"The girl, Jun Matsuo." X declared, "I have tested her. Although untrained, she is much stronger than you are, Katse. And much more intelligent. I have always found the females of your species to be more capable than the males. You yourself have proven this fact many times over. When you are in female form…"

"Yes, yes, don't remind me!" snapped Katse. It was a thorn in his side, how X preferred his female self to his male one. Becoming female was usually much more exhausting for Katse, and except on rare occasions when his hormones were fluctuating out of control, he was unable to maintain the shape for more than a few hours. Despite having equal elements of both genders, his Y chromosomes were surprisingly assertive, and did not give up control of his body very easily.

"But Leader, none of the other offspring had what you needed! When you tried to train them, they all died!" Katse protested, "What makes you think that this girl won't suffer the same fate?"

"I made a mistake." X admitted. "When I ordered you to breed, to find your successor, I tested your offspring too soon. Apparently the maturation process enhanced your unique DNA in Jun Matsuo. She is stronger, and better prepared, to be transformed into my servant. My initial survey of her potential was most promising."

"Surely, this is something that _I_ can accomplish for you!" suggested Katse.

"No. I will train the girl myself." Leader X mused, "And then, _she_ will become the leader of Galactor."

"I… will report to that… child?" Katse sputtered. "Never! It is beneath me!"

"You will do whatever I ask of you, Katse." Leader X replied, with a smug certainty. "You are not in a position to object."

"Yes, Sire." Katse muttered, bowing before X. His posture was submissive, but he was already plotting the removal of Jun Matsuo.

88888

Jun couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not certain she should be revealing so much, Haruka was speaking close to Jun's ear, in a low voice. The story the older woman was telling was incredible. Apparently, Katse had been involved in some kind of breeding program, trying to impregnate Galactor women. Haruka was not really certain why the Galactor leader had embarked on this… pursuit, but she did know that the women who had become pregnant were segregated, until after giving birth.

"We never knew what happened to these women. They would return after about a year… presumably when their babies were three or four months old, and not remember anything." Haruka whispered. "I talked to a few of them, and they refused to believe that they were ever pregnant. But we all knew…"

"What happened to these babies?" wondered Jun.

"I'm not sure, but there were rumors…"

"What kind of rumors?"

"It was said that… that Leader X had… experimented… on them." Haruka revealed. "And that none of them survived."

Jun nodded. She could believe this, after her own experience with the bird-like entity.

"And at some point, Miyuki was selected for this... program?" Jun asked quietly.

"We all were. Lord Katse declared that all Devilstars would have their turn in his bed." Haruka said. "Miyuki and I were both summoned."

"And Miyuki found that she was pregnant…" Jun breathed.

"Yes." Haruka sighed. "I was not, but she was. We knew that we would be tested shortly. I would be released, but Miyuki would be segregated. We would be separated."

"So what did you do?" Jun asked.

"When the time came for the testing, I was able to slip Miyuki a container of my urine." Haruka spoke so softly that Jun barely heard her. "The tests showed that she was not pregnant, and we were both released."

"But… at some point, Galactor would have discovered that she had conceived." Jun said.

"Yes. That was why Miyuki left Galactor." Haruka replied. "She didn't want her baby to be taken away from her."

Jun fell back onto her pillow. Now, it all made sense. She knew, with terrible certainty, that she _was_ Katse's daughter. The circumstances of her conception whirled through her mind, as she sorted through her feelings. She had felt some kind of connection with Miyuki, when she had heard the Devilstar's story, but Katse… her hatred for Katse filled her, like a cancer. Now she understood how Joe felt, and how his need for revenge consumed him. Jun felt the same way… she could not rest, she could not be at peace, until Katse was dead.

"I can see that this has been difficult for you to hear." Haruka sympathized. "I'll leave you alone, to let you process it all." The Devilstar stood, and left the room. Jun was certain that she was standing just outside the door, confident that her charge could not escape while still weak, and recovering.

The moment Haruka closed the door, Jun breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally!" she muttered, pressing her bracelet to emit a Birdscramble. Hopefully this time, the signal would emit long enough for the team to trace her location.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jinpei kicked at the coffee table yet again. He had already managed to make a few half-hearted scrapes on its surface, and he was certain that Hakase would blow his top, once he discovered what the Swallow had done.

Or perhaps not. Dr. Nambu had been especially considerate of Jinpei, since Jun had disappeared. He knew that it was difficult on the boy, losing both his sister and his home in one day.

But things hadn't improved, for Jinpei, or for the rest of the Science Ninja Team. Each day that Jun was gone only added to the depression they were feeling. It was almost better that Galactor had been quiet, because they knew the team was not ready to go out on a mission. They trained, half-heartedly, but the agony of waiting, minute after minute, hour after hour, was getting to them all.

"Stop it, Jinpei," Joe growled, "or I'll throw you out the window."

"Sheesh, what big talk!" Jinpei muttered, "We're under water!"

"Exactly." Joe glared.

"Give him a break, Joe!" Ryu interjected, "Jinpei's had a rough time."

"We've _all_ had a rough time." Joe grumbled. "We all miss Jun."

The mere mention of her name was enough to cast even more of a pall over the room.

"Some of us, more than others." said Ryu, glancing over to their Commander. Ken was looking out one of the windows. However, close observation revealed that he was not actually watching the marine life outside, but simply staring off into the distance.

"What are you thinking, Ken?" Joe asked, "You've been awfully quiet."

The Eagle sighed, turning to face his team. Or at least, what was left of it. Jun had been their heart. Without her, they were all just individual fragments.

"I was thinking about a plan of attack." Ken admitted. "A way to locate Galactor Headquarters, or wherever Jun might be held."

"You mean, you think Jun might still be alive?" asked Ryu. The manner in which he asked made it clear that he wasn't sure, himself.

"Of course she is, stupid!" Jinpei cried, sending a punch into the Owl's stomach.

"You're right, Jinpei." Ryu apologized, lowering his head. He shouldn't have voiced his fears in front of the Swallow.

"Cut it out, you two!" Joe ordered. "I want to hear what Ken has to say."

"That's the problem." Ken sighed, running his hands through his hair in his frustration. "I don't _have_ anything to say. No ideas, nothing. I can't believe I'm saying this, but if a Galactor mecha would just show up somewhere…"

"I know how you feel, Ken." Joe said, walking up to his Commander. "I've had the same thought cross my mind. If we found a mecha, we could follow it back to a base, and have some chance of locating Jun."

"We have nothing to go on!" yelled Ken, surprising the others. It was rare that Ken got so obviously angry. In fact, the last time Joe recalled seeing him this way, was after the death of Red Impulse.

"Something will turn up, Ken." Joe encouraged his friend. "It always does."

"I'm just finding that harder and harder to hold onto, the more time passes." Ken admitted, his eyes blazing. "And every time I doubt it, I get angry with myself. It's just so damn frustrating!"

"I feel the same way, Ken." Joe replied, smiling slightly at Ken's surprised expression. "You're not the only one that misses her, you know."

Ken nodded, acknowledging that his despair was not the only important emotion in the room.

"I miss the way she would tuck me in at night." said Jinpei in a small voice. Ken turned toward the boy, not sure he had heard him right.

"What?" the Eagle asked, surprised.

"Not like you think." Jinpei said, "But after she thinks I'm asleep. Onechan always comes up to my room, and tucks me in. I miss that. It makes me feel like I have a mother…" Tears were streaming down Jinpei's face. Ken knew the Swallow would never have admitted such a thing, if he hadn't been emotionally devastated.

"I miss the way she always smiled… uh, smiles… at me when I come into the Snack." Ryu added. "She's always there to talk, and listen to me, even when no one else is."

"I miss that about her too." Joe admitted. "There's no one else I feel completely comfortable with. It's like Jun knows who I really am… what's inside of me… even when I don't know it myself."

"I miss the way she holds this team together." Ken said quietly. "The way she makes us all feel like a family. Jun makes me feel like there might be hope, for some kind of life… some kind of happiness… outside of our fight against Galactor."

As he spoke, Ken knew that Jun was, indeed, the source of their happiness. Without her, all that remained was this dreary existence, missing her more with each passing moment. As he surveyed the faces of his team, Ken knew that he had to do something. _Now_.

"Guys," he said, clearing his throat, not quite knowing what he was going to say, "I think we should…"

He never got to finish his sentence. He was interrupted by a soft beep from his bracelet, echoed three more times around the room.

The four ninjas stared at each other for a second, in momentary disbelief.

"Well, hallelujah!" Joe exclaimed, "It's about time, Baby!"

"Birdscramble…" Ken said, his face softening into an expression of intense relief.

Jinpei was already at a computer panel, his bracelet inserted into the global positioning device.

"I've got it!" he crowed, leaping for joy. "Co-ordinates!"

"Patch those into the God Phoenix, Jinpei," cheered Ryu, "and I'll be there to lock them in!"

Everyone turned, and looked toward their leader.

"What are we waiting for?" Ken grinned, "Assemble on the God Phoenix!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

While she was sending the Birdscramble, Jun examined her body. She was still wearing the shirt and pants she had been dressed in for her audience with Leader X. Gently, she felt the area of her body from which she sensed the most pain. Some kind of bandage covered her lower back, and she could tell that a small incision had been made. Jun flexed her muscles gently. The pain was still there, but she could ignore it if she had to.

She had to escape. Jun could not let Leader X use her as a tool of Galactor. She also had important information for the ISO… and for Joe. This was the only time she had been left alone, so she had to use it wisely. How could she escape?

Jun pulled the IV from her arm, then carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed, slowly placing her feet on the floor and transferring her weight to them. So far, so good.

She was just about to stand up when the door opened. Jun turned off her bracelet, terminating the Birdscramble. She just hoped that the team had been able to trace her location. She looked up, expecting to see Haruka, already forming an explanation for her behavior.

"I just wanted to…" the words died on her lips as she saw who stood in the doorway.

"Jun…" Katse said, walking over to her. "I owe you my life."

"Don't mention it." muttered Jun. Katse was the last person she wanted to see. Could she escape now? Quickly she weighed the odds in her head. She had no doubt that she could best him in a one-on-one fight, even in her weakened condition, and without the benefit of Birdstyle. Katse had never been known for his fighting skills, after all. But could she do it before an alarm was raised? Perhaps, but it was risky at best. Still, it was all she had.

Jun was just about to strike when Katse spoke again.

"I know that you were forced into this." he said quietly, "I want to make it up to you. I want to help you leave."

Jun looked up, surprise and relief washing over her face. Katse smirked triumphantly.

"Why would you do that?" Jun asked, suddenly suspicious.

"As I said, I _owe_ you." Katse repeated. "I don't like to owe _anybody_. That's not the way Galactor operates. If I do this for you, we are even."

Jun liked the sound of that. Not that she had any compunctions about killing Katse where he stood, but at least this way, there could never be any kind of lingering guilt about such an act.

Katse silently rejoiced. How easy it was, getting rid of this child. He could fabricate some story for Leader X, and she would make it her business to stay as far away from Galactor as possible. He knew he really should just kill her, but his feelings of indebtedness to this girl made him uncomfortable with that course of action. Strange… he had never had any moral or ethical issues with killing to suit his purposes, but this was… different. He didn't care to examine _why_.

Jun knew that this could be a trick, but escaping with Katse's help was preferable to doing it on her own. She would watch her back, and be ready to strike, if necessary.

"What do you propose?" she asked.

"An alarm will sound in five minutes." Katse said quietly. "All personnel will be summoned to emergency stations. The rest will be up to you."

It was more than enough… if Katse was actually going to make it happen.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Jun asked.

"What other choice do you have?" Katse sneered.

Jun nodded curtly.

"I'm glad we understand each other, then." the Galactor leader said. "I'll be going, now."

But as he reached for the door, he turned to look at Jun.

"I'm sorry I couldn't have been… a father." he acknowledged.

"I have my own family." Jun replied, returning his gaze with equal intensity. "And I am returning to them."

Katse turned and left the room.

Jun waited breathlessly, alone in the room.

A short time later, she heard the alarm. Sounds of confusion came filtered into the room, followed by some sharply barked orders, and then silence.

Jun counted to thirty, then opened the door.

The hallway outside was empty. Quietly, she crept down the corridor, watching for any signs of activity. There were none.

Jun's destination was the hangar. If she could steal one of the mecha planes, she would have a good chance of escaping. Of course, there was always the chance that the others were on their way, but Jun wasn't certain that she had left the Birdscramble going long enough to be traced.

She made use of a nearby computer station to obtain a general layout of the base, then made her way toward her goal.

What she hadn't counted on, was that the hangar was apparently one of the 'emergency stations' Katse had mentioned. It was full of green-suited goons. There were hundreds, maybe a thousand, of them.

Jun had come too far to back down now. She needed a distraction. Accessing an unmanned control station, she analyzed the available data.

Yes… that would do.

Pulling off the cover, Jun rewired circuits in the panel, re-routing power and controls to where she wanted them to go. She wasn't entirely sure it would work, but it had a good chance. Crossing her fingers, she initiated her sequence of instructions.

As she had planned, the largest of the planes in the hangar suddenly fired one of its missiles, directly into the mass of troops waiting for emergency instructions.

What Jun hadn't planned on were the secondary detonations. Missiles, bombs, rocket launchers, and other heavy artillery were apparently stored in compartments located around the hangar. The initial explosion set off one such compartment, and then another, and another, causing the entire base to ignite in a violent reaction some ten seconds after the initial blast.

Jun threw herself to the floor as the nearby door to the hangar exploded, raining shards of glass in all directions. Ignoring the cuts the glass inflicted on her bare feet, she stood up, staring at what was left of the hangar, intense heat baking her face, and scorching her throat as she breathed.

A raging inferno was claiming everything inside. There was no way she could enter.

Quickly, Jun ran in the opposite direction, ducking down a side corridor that she hoped would lead to an exit.

It did. Or rather, it did now. A large chunk of the wall had been torn away with the initial missile blast, but for the moment there were no flames here.

Only sunshine, and a barren, rocky landscape.

Unfortunately, three goons stood gaping at this unexpected sight. Running up behind them, Jun dealt a swift kick to one man's head. He slumped to the ground, eyes rolling back under his mask.

The other two men turned to Jun.

"Look, Iwao, it's that bitch!" one cried.

"Little Miss _Obedient_." sneered the other.

Jun smiled to herself. It was time for some payback. Iwao and Toru were about to get what was coming to them.

Whirling, she executed a roundhouse kick, knocking their weapons out of their hands, before they could get off a shot.

Shouting angrily, the goons attempted to grapple her, but Jun crouched low, avoiding their grasp. She shot out her leg for a large sweep, sending them tumbling to the ground.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Iwao reach for his fallen weapon. Rolling over, she snatched up the other gun, turning to spray bullets in the direction of the two men. They both twitched violently, then lay unmoving on the ground.

"Good riddance to bad garbage." Jun muttered, kicking Iwao in the face with her bare foot. She looked up, and saw freedom.

Jun did not see the canisters of jet fuel located just outside of the ragged hole that the initial blast had created. She stepped out, into the late-afternoon sunlight, just as the flames from the hangar reached the first canister.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"How much longer, Ryu?" Ken asked impatiently. It had only been thirty minutes since the Science Ninja Team had received Jun's Birdscramble, but each second felt like an hour to the Eagle. Glancing around the bridge of the God Phoenix, he could see that he wasn't the only one. Joe's face was a mask of tension, and Jinpei's bore an expression of joyous hope.

"Another couple of minutes, Commander." replied the Owl, the calmness in his voice not betraying his emotions. It would be miracle to have Jun returned to them.

"That's presuming that she hasn't moved, since we received the signal." Joe added. As always, he had to be the dark cloud, raining on all of their hopes. But Ken understood where he was coming from. It was extraordinarily painful to have their hopes raised, and then dashed again. If they didn't find Jun this time… Ken didn't even want to contemplate how much it would demoralize the team… how much it would devastate _him_.

Jun's signal had been frustratingly short, but at least this time they had been able to trace its location. Jun's location. The location of a Galactor base? Galactor headquarters? Ken's head was spinning from the possibilities of what they would find.

The signal had emanated from an area of unpopulated scrubland in Wyoming, close to the Continental Divide. As they raced toward their destination, Ken barely saw the mountainous beauty rushing by. He could only focus on their goal.

They had to retrieve Jun alive. Nothing else mattered.

The Condor saw the grim look on the Eagle's face, and understood his emotions. Joe was feeling the same way. He had always felt close to Jun, but he had been surprised by the depth of his emotions over these past few days. He was having trouble concealing his feelings from his teammates, especially Ken. In fact, Joe was certain that it had only been Ken's preoccupation with Jun's disappearance that had saved him from the Eagle's scrutiny.

Joe had always regarded Jun as a friend… a sister… or had he? It was this thought that was the most troubling. Joe had always known that Jun was the one he could talk to, share his feelings with, even when he wouldn't have done so with anyone else. It was never anything he planned; she just always seemed to be there when he needed to talk. She would smile at him, and somehow Joe would find himself pouring out his innermost thoughts, gazing into her intent face, appreciating her carefully considered advice.

Joe had felt Jun's absence strongly over the past few days, because he wanted to talk… he _needed_ to talk… but she wasn't there. The irony of the situation: the fact that his missing teammate was the source of these conflicting emotions, and his subsequent need for conversation, was not lost on Joe.

That night, when Joe walked into his favorite restaurant, only to learn that Ken and Jun were going on a _date_, he had pushed his initial feelings aside with the immediate concern for Jun's whereabouts. But over the past couple of days, he had had time to reflect, and he realized that the whole idea of Ken and Jun going out _together_ bothered him, more than he liked to admit.

What Joe wasn't certain of was _why_ this bothered him. Was he feeling protective of Jun? Was he worried about the team dynamic? Or was it something else altogether?

Jinpei beamed from his seat. He felt like dancing across the bridge of the God Phoenix. Jun was alive! And they were going to get her. There was no doubt in the Swallow's mind that he would be hugging his Onechan inside of an hour. And then he could make sure that she and Aniki went on that date they had been intending. If they got married, he would have a _real_ family. Damn Galactor for messing things up, just as Ken had gotten his head on straight!

Ryu kept his eyes on the approaching mountains. The signal was coming from that area, and they would be there before long. He scanned for a landing site as he thought about Jun. Ryu had been convinced that she had to be dead. Even now, with the signal, he only held out a small bit of hope that she was alive.

In the past, Katse had used captured Science Ninja Team members as bait. He always advertised that he had them, taunting the ISO, and the public, with his prisoners. The fact that he hadn't done this meant that something had gone horribly wrong. Ryu could feel it. He knew he wasn't the brightest person on the team, but he suspected that at this moment, he had the most realistic expectations of what they might find. After all, a Birdscramble was just a signal from a bracelet. There was no guarantee that _Jun_ had been the one to send the signal.

Ryu sighed. He hoped he was wrong. He really did. But he was afraid that he wasn't.

As the monotonous brown landscape rushed by, the last thing any of them expected was a giant orange fireball surging into the sky.

"What the hell was that?" shouted Joe, jumping to his feet.

"Ryu, where are the co-ordinates of the Birdscramble signal?" Ken asked quietly.

"Right where that explosion occurred, Commander." Ryu glumly replied.

"Zoom in!" Ken ordered, "Maximum magnification!"

Jinpei hurriedly input the new settings, and the fiery blaze appeared before them. It was a terrifying view.

Greasy black smoke belched into the air, fingers of orange-red flame licking through, almost seeming to reach the sky. Blackened, twisted metal littered the landscape, scattered among the rocks and brush of the scrubland. Here and there, a tumbleweed that had gotten too close to the blaze flew across the dry terrain, a streak of orange across the dusty countryside.

Through the oily haze, they could see green-suited goons fleeing in all directions. Strangely enough, there weren't nearly as many as Ken would have expected, for a conflagration of that size.

In the distance, they could make out the shape of Katse's Devil Star escape pod, whirling away from the rapidly spreading inferno.

"So it _was_ a Galactor base!" Jinpei whispered in hushed tones. "Do you think Jun did all this?"

Joe had the same thought. Jun wasn't their explosives expert for nothing. But where was she? Why wasn't she signaling for them?

A smaller blast manifested itself on the left side of the larger inferno. It was followed by a succession of similar blasts at regular intervals, only seconds apart.

"Where are you, Jun?" Ken muttered, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

88888

Jun didn't see the jet fuel ignite, but when the first canister exploded she threw herself to the ground. Red-hot shards of metal fell around her, a few landing on her clothing. She quickly shook them off, ignoring the second degree burns on her skin. Then she got up and ran like hell, oblivious to the incredible pain in her feet.

The remaining canisters blew apart in a bizarre form of fiery ballet, each one detonating exactly five seconds after the previous one. Jun smelled the fuel, felt the smoke, and grinned with excitement.

Damn, she loved her job.

As she exited the clouds of thick, black smoke, she was able to make out the shapes of a few fleeing goons. They were moving in all directions. There didn't appear to be a common destination, other than _away_ from the raging inferno behind her.

Sighing, Jun began to sprint. She hoped that the adrenaline pumping through her veins would hold out until she found some form of civilization.

The sun was beginning to go down, and Jun was starting to limp. She resigned herself to soon walking in pitch blackness. As she turned to look at the breathtaking sunset, a familiar shape appeared on the horizon, heading straight for her position.

Jun activated her communicator and spoke.

"Man, if I'd known a pickup would take _this_ long, I'd have called days ago!"

"We'll be right there, G-3!" the Owl replied. Jun could hear Ryu's grin in his voice.

"At last…" she whispered to herself, sinking to the dusty ground in relief.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ken was the first one on the elevation platform; Joe and Jinpei only a second behind. The few seconds that it took to rise up to the glass dome, at the top of the God Phoenix, were agonizing for them all.

The moment the dome opened, the three ninjas flew out, alighting on the ground in the rapidly darkening twilight. Ken saw the last vestiges of the sun sinking below the horizon, and was glad that tonight, he was with Jun for this sunset.

He could make out her slim form, lying in the dirt, as if she had collapsed upon hearing that they were near. Perhaps she had.

"Jun." Ken said softly, approaching the prostrate young woman in front of him. Jinpei walked hesitantly behind him, as if unsure that this really was his Onechan.

Joe was frozen in place. Could this bedraggled figure really be Jun? But he knew that it was. All he wanted to do was run up to her, take her up in his arms, hold her to him and never let go. But he didn't. It was Ken's place to do these things. _He_ was the one Jun was waiting to see.

"Ken…" the whisper came out of the grey light, and they knew they had found her.

"Jun!" whispered Ken, kneeling down next to his Third. She had a pale, pinched look about her face, and her clothing was nothing more than blackened, torn rags. But she smiled at him, and the Eagle knew that everything was right with the world again.

"You don't know how glad I am to see you, Ken." Jun whispered to the Eagle.

"No happier than I am, to see you." he whispered back. "You owe me a dinner."

"Onechan!" cried Jinpei, grabbing Jun's hand and interrupting the moment. She turned to grin at the Swallow, amused by the expression on his face.

"Gosh," Jun said, "It's like you actually _missed_ me or something."

"I missed you, Onechan." Jinpei sniffled.

"I missed you too, Jinpei." Jun grinned.

Slowly, Joe approached them. Jun glanced up, seeing the Condor silhouetted against the last pink clouds of the sunset.

"Joe," she smiled, "It's wonderful to see you."

"I wish I could say the same." Joe replied, "You look like hell, Jun."

Jun laughed, and it was a welcome sound, breaking the tension everyone had been feeling at this reunion.

"Let's see how you look, after walking through an exploding Galactor base!" Jun retorted.

"I'm glad you're back, Jun." Joe said quietly.

"Let's get you back to the God Phoenix." Ken said. Gently, he moved to pick up the Swan in his arms.

"No… I can walk." Jun protested, but Ken didn't listen.

"I'm carrying you all the way to the Medical Bay." he stated firmly. "That's an order."

Jun smiled up into the Eagle's resolute face.

"Whatever you say, Commander." she sighed, closing her eyes.

Jinpei hovered over his sister, hopping around Ken as the Eagle carried Jun back to the God Phoenix. Joe followed behind, trying to shake the feeling of being an outsider to this… family moment.

But that all changed once they reached the Medical Bay.

"Do what you can for her, Joe." Ken ordered, lying Jun gently on the examination table. "I have to contact Dr. Nambu."

"Come on, Jinpei!" the Eagle ordered, "Joe doesn't need you interfering. Jun's fine, now." More than that, Ken didn't want Jinpei hearing about anything that had happened to Jun during her time with Galactor. There were some things done to prisoners… particularly female prisoners… that the Swallow didn't need to know about.

Jinpei looked disappointed, but squeezed Jun's hand before following Ken back to the bridge.

"I'll see you soon, Onechan!" he said.

"I'm looking forward to it, Jinpei." Jun smiled.

Once the others had gone, Joe pulled off his helmet and gloves, getting straight to work.

"So, did you really walk through an exploding base, Jun?" he asked, examining her shirt. Under the bright lights of the Medical Bay, he could clearly see scorch marks on her clothing, and the redness of the burned skin underneath.

"I'm going to have to remove this." he muttered, not looking at Jun's face.

Jun obediently began to take off what was left of the shredded garment, revealing her bra. She nearly laughed out loud at the embarrassed look on Joe's face.

"Don't worry Joe," she said, "I've had almost no privacy at all the last few days. This isn't a big deal."

She sat up to peel the cloth off of her back. In some places it was sticking to the burned skin, and she winced as she slowly removed it. When it was gone, Jun pulled her knees up to her chest and bent over, so Joe could examine her back.

"How bad is it, Joe?" she asked.

Joe grimaced. A dozen second degree burns were scattered across Jun's back, but what concerned him most, was what looked like the remnants of a surgical bandage, on her lower back.

"What's this?" he asked, gently tapping next to the bandage.

"I…" Jun choked. She wasn't ready to talk about this. Not yet. She turned her face around, her emerald eyes pleading.

"I'll tell you… later. Please, Joe."

Joe nodded, pretending that he didn't see the tear slipping down her cheek. He had been afraid of what Galactor might have done to Jun, while they had held her, but now he was terrified. What could cause her to be so secretive?

"You're safe, now." Joe replied, "Take all the time you want."

"Thanks, Joe." Jun whispered. "I knew I could count on you." The look she gave him melted his heart.

"You can _always_ count on me, Jun." the Condor replied, and he softly kissed her on the forehead.

For a moment, neither of them moved, both unsure of what to say. Then, finally, Jun spoke.

"I promise I'll tell you." she said quietly, "But… I can only say it once. Let me do it when everyone is all together."

"I understand." Joe replied. He retrieved some supplies, and began treating the burns, applying dressings over the wounded skin. Lastly, he peeled back what was left of the other bandage. Underneath was a small incision, with significant bruising around it. The cut was relatively fresh: it had obviously been made in the last twenty-four hours.

Jun was lost in her own concerns. She hadn't thought this far ahead. She had to tell the team everything she had learned, but how would they react? Would they still want her to be a part of the Science Ninja Team, when they learned that she was Katse's daughter, and that she had been the means for saving his life?

Joe redressed the cut quietly, wondering what kind of procedure Jun had been subjected to.

"How about your legs?" he asked, handing Jun a fresh shirt.

"My Number 3!" Jun exclaimed happily. "I can't believe how glad I am to see this!"

"Well, we had one of your uniforms here on the God Phoenix, so we'd be ready if… when..."

"Thanks, Joe!" Jun smiled, hastily pulling the shirt on, over her head. "You're always so thoughtful!"

"I think my legs are okay." she continued, answering his earlier question. "They don't seem to hurt as much."

"Well, let's see." Joe said, looking at Jun's pants. The material seemed to be much thicker than that of the shirt, but there were still some scorch marks. But then he saw her feet, and the Condor gasped.

Jun's feet were a bloody, oozing mess of cuts and gashes. Layered over all of this was a thick layer of dust and sooty grime.

"What did you do?" Joe lectured, "Walk over broken glass?"

"Pretty much." Jun shrugged. "A door with a window exploded next to me, and I had to get out of there, glass or no glass."

Joe was impressed by the casual way Jun referred to the event. Of course, what else did he expect from the Swan?

"All the same," he said, "let's get your pants off, and then I can treat all of this."

"Sounds good to me." Jun said, wiggling out of the garment. "I'm glad to get rid of these Galactor clothes."

"They were holding you the entire time?" Joe asked quietly.

"Yes." Jun confirmed. "Lucky for me, they didn't know who I really was." But was that right? In a way, they _had_ known who she really was, and it was the Science Ninja Team who were unaware of her true identity.

Joe saw a troubled look cross Jun's face, and decided not to press her. She had promised to tell them everything, and he would have to wait.

For now, Joe just had to be satisfied with knowing that Jun was back.

The burns on Jun's legs turned out to be only first-degree, and were easily treated. Her feet, however, were another matter. After cleaning and disinfecting the numerous lacerations, he bandaged each foot.

"You can walk, but you'll probably want to stay off your feet for a couple of days." He suggested.

"I wasn't planning on running a marathon." Jun laughed, pulling on a pair of her striped pants.

"I'm glad to hear you laugh, Jun." Joe said seriously. "Whatever happened to you, it can't be that bad, if you can laugh now."

"It's not that kind of bad, Joe." Jun admitted, but she didn't offer any further explanation.

"Do you want something to eat?" Joe asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, yes, please!" Jun brightened.

"Well, all we have are a few containers of cheese and crackers." Joe laughed at her eagerness, "But Ryu might have some donuts stashed away somewhere."

"Sounds wonderful!" Jun grinned, tearing into the packets Joe sent her way. "It feels like forever since I last ate!"

"Did they feed you at all?" Joe asked, tossing her a bottle of water.

"Yes, once." Jun replied, between bites, "But it was drugged. Knocked me out for a couple of days."

"Is that why you didn't contact us?" Joe's voice betrayed his emotions.

"Oh, Joe…" Jun said, putting down her crackers. "I'm so sorry." She reached out to him, and suddenly found herself in a fierce embrace.

"You don't know what it did to me… to us… to go so long without hearing from you." Joe said quietly, his voice muffled in her hair. He breathed deeply, the scent of smoke and fuel filling his nostrils.

"I sent a Birdscramble right away." Jun tried to explain, "But I was being watched, and had to stop. They didn't know I was the Swan, and I didn't want anyone seeing or hearing my bracelet."

A soft grunt acknowledged her words. Joe's grip on her loosened a bit, but he still held on tightly, as if he were afraid she would disappear.

"And most of the time, I was drugged. I don't know how many days I slept. How long has it been?"

"Five days." Joe replied, finally pulling away from her. "Five days without hearing a word, not knowing what had happened to you."

"I wish…" Jun didn't finish her sentence. They both knew what she was wishing for.

"When my parents died, I lost the only real family I had." Joe said softly, almost to himself. "But you… the team… you've all become my new family."

"I said almost the same thing to Katse." Jun admitted.

"Katse?" Joe's tone was surprised, and angry. "You saw that bastard?"

"I…" Jun paused. "That's one of the things I want to talk about, later."

Joe looked disappointed, but nodded silently.

"And Joe, about that," Jun continued, "There's something I have to tell you…"

She was interrupted by the arrival of Ken at the door to the Medical Bay.

"How are you doing, Jun?" he asked.

"Much better, thanks!" Jun smiled, raising her bottle of water in a mock toast to Joe, "Thanks to my doctor, and his wonderful bedside manner."

Ken turned to look at Joe. The Condor knew what was being asked.

"She's fine, Ken." he said, "A number of burns, but they'll heal quickly. Her feet got the worst of it." Joe decided to omit mention of the surgical cut. Jun had said that she would explain it later, and he trusted her.

Ken glanced at Jun's feet, shocked to see the bulky bandages wrapped around them.

"Apparently, our little Swan decided to have some fun, walking on broken glass, in bare feet." Joe smirked, putting his helmet and gloves back on.

"You're just jealous that you weren't in on all of the destruction." Jun joked. "It's an insult to your pride that I was able to take down a Galactor base without you."

Inwardly, Ken sighed with relief. Jun certainly sounded like her old self.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to carry you out of here, then." he smiled at her.

"It's a burden I'll have to bear." sighed Jun dramatically, putting a hand to her forehead in mock distress, "Being carried out of the God Phoenix, by the heroic Eagle."

"I think _I'm_ the one with the burden." Ken winked, "I have to lift you, after all."

"Are you trying to say I'm fat?" Jun sounded angry, but her wide grin indicated otherwise. "I'll have you know that I probably lost a lot of weight, with only one meal in five days."

"One meal?" Ken looked confused, and slightly distressed.

"Hence, our decade-old supply of cheese and crackers has been depleted." Joe drawled, sweeping his hand around to indicate the discarded wrappers.

"They mistreated you, then?" Ken asked, knowing instantly that it was a stupid question. It was pretty obvious that they had. Galactor wasn't exactly known for its strict advocacy to the Geneva Convention.

"Honestly, Ken, I was drugged most of the time. I could hardly believe it when Joe told me that five days had passed." Jun replied. "I guess I didn't need that much food, since I was asleep."

"Galactor scum." Ken's hands clenched into fists. "We'll make them pay, Jun. I promise you that."

"I think I got a good start." Jun winked, "I didn't actually mean to destroy their entire base; just the hangar. And not even the entire hangar. I had actually planned on stealing one of their planes to escape."

"But I guess I was a little too trigger happy with those mecha missiles." the Swan giggled.

"That's something we love about you, Jun." Joe smiled, putting his arm around Jun for a quick squeeze.

"Speak for yourself!" Ken mock-lectured. "From what I could see, you nearly incinerated yourself, Jun. It's one thing to destroy a Galactor base, but you've got to make sure you're out of the blast."

"I almost was." Jun laughed. "I just mis-judged a little, that's all."

"Well, we're almost back to the Crescent Coral Base." Ken said. "You can tell us all about it there."

"Okay." Jun was suddenly quiet. It made Ken wonder what had happened to her.

"Is everything all right, Jun?" he asked, concerned, placing a hand on her arm.

"I'm… I'm not sure." Jun answered honestly. "I'll tell you all everything, once we're back to base."

"That's fine, Jun." Ken replied. But inside, he was afraid. What had those Galactor bastards done to Jun?


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Ken had intended to carry Jun off of the God Phoenix, but Dr. Nambu requested his presence immediately, so that duty fell to the Condor. Joe, Jinpei and Ryu accompanied Jun to the medical wing of the Crescent Coral Base, where the Swan was thoroughly examined.

"Man, this is the worst!" complained Jinpei. "I hate waiting around, while they perform all of these tests. It's soooo boring!"

"It may be boring," Joe said in a dry voice, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, "but it's hardly _the worst_. As far as I'm concerned, the worst was not knowing what had happened to Jun."

"You're right, Joe." Ryu agreed. "I'm just happy that Jun's okay."

"So what's the word?" Ken asked, sauntering into the waiting room.

"Nothing so far." Joe reported, "We're just waiting for our girl."

"Well, Hakase wants to see her, as soon as she's done." Ken reported. "I told him as much as I knew, but Jun obviously has a lot more information."

"I think we should all be there." Joe said quietly.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Joe." Ken replied, casting a quick look over at Jinpei.

"Jun told me that she only wanted to talk about it _once_." Joe said quietly. "Whatever it was she went through, she doesn't want to relive it over and over. She _asked_ to have all of us there, together."

"I want to know what happened to Onechan!" Jinpei insisted. No matter what Aniki thought, Jinpei knew he had a right to find out what had happened to his sister.

"Here she is!" called a grey-haired, overly cheery nurse. The Swan was pushed out in a wheelchair, but otherwise she looked happy and healthy.

"I got some food, but they're insisting on this dumb chair for a couple of days!" Jun complained laughingly.

"You have to rest your feet, young lady!" the nurse scolded her, as she departed. "If you want to wear those Birdstyle boots again, you'll have to listen to the doctors."

"I get it! I get it!" Jun grinned. "Just as long as I can walk again, soon. I'd hate to go on a mission in this thing!"

"Maybe we can make it into a new G-3 mecha!" Ryu suggested. "I can see it now: wheelchair bird missiles!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ryu!" Jun retorted, "I expect to be out of this thing, and back to my motorcycle, in no time at all!"

"Dr. Nambu wants to see you." Ken told her. "Are you ready?"

His question evaporated the light-hearted mood in the room.

Despite the fact that it was well after midnight, Jun wasn't surprised. She looked around her, at the solemn faces of the four people she regarded as her family.

"Yes." she replied, taking a deep breath. "And I'd like you all to be there. You _all_ need to hear this."

"See?" Jinpei stuck his tongue out at Ken, behind Jun's back.

Ken ignored the Swallow's childish behavior, then took over the duty of pushing Jun's chair.

"We'll be with you, Jun." he promised.

88888

When they reached Dr. Nambu's office, Ken gestured for the others to enter first. After they had, he crouched down beside Jun's chair, and took her hands in his.

"I want you to know, Jun, that whatever you say, whatever happened to you, I'm here for you." he said, looking into her eyes. "I understand that this isn't easy for you to talk about, but I want to help you through it."

"I appreciate that, Ken." Jun said, her eyes filling with tears. "More than you know. But I'm afraid…"

"Afraid of what?" Ken asked.

"Afraid of how you'll feel, after you hear what I have to say." Jun admitted. "Everyone… but especially you, and Joe."

"Me… and Joe?" Ken was surprised. "Jun, you know that we love you. It doesn't matter what happened. You're still the same person we've always known."

"Ken… you and Joe… you have the most hatred for Galactor." Jun said, "It manifests itself in different ways, but both of you are driven by this intense need, to defeat them. To crush them."

"And you think this… need… is a problem?" Ken asked, confused.

"Not normally, but…" Jun trembled, "I think it will color your attitude… toward me."

"Jun, I don't know what you're talking about…" Ken began, but he was interrupted by Dr. Nambu, who was sticking his head out of his office.

"I don't suppose the two of you would care to join us?" he asked, with his usual dry sarcasm.

"Sure, Hakase." Ken mumbled, standing up to push Jun's wheelchair. "We were just coming."

88888

Jun glanced nervously around the room. Everyone was staring at her, with shocked expressions on their faces, even the usually reserved Dr. Nambu.

"So, if you don't want me on the Science Ninja Team anymore, I'll understand." Jun finished, hands in her lap, head hanging down. She had related most of her tale without looking at her teammates. She couldn't bear to see the revulsion in their eyes, as they found out who she really was.

The silence that greeted her words only confirmed what she was thinking. They didn't want her anymore. Jun took a deep breath.

"I guess I'll be going, then." she sighed. "I'll leave the Crescent Coral Base, as soon as I'm allowed to walk again." She tried to turn her wheelchair around to exit the room, but since she was unused to the device, all she managed was a clumsy ninety-degree swing.

"Wait, Jun." A hand rested on the arm of her chair, preventing her from moving. She looked up to see Joe gazing at her sympathetically.

"I don't want you to go." he said loudly. "And I'm sure no one else here does, either, right?" The Condor glanced around the room, his furious glare daring anyone to disagree with him.

Quickly, the others agreed, although one response was noticeably lagging, and less than enthusiastic. Ken sat in the corner, an inscrutable expression on his face.

Jun was aware of Ken's reaction, and a tear slid down her cheek.

Joe was aware as well, and he seethed with rage inside, but didn't dare express his frustrations in front of Jun.

"Look, Jun." he said, his voice much calmer than he felt, "None of what you've told us changes the way we feel about you, or your dedication to the Science Ninja Team."

Jun stared at him, a tiny flame of hope flickering deep in her emerald eyes. Encouraged, Joe continued.

"I know, better than anyone, what it's like to have the wrong parents." he said, "But you have all accepted me for who _I_ am, not who _they_ were."

"I wouldn't do any less, for you, Jun." Joe finished, smiling reassuringly at the Swan.

"I… I don't know what to say, Joe." Jun sobbed, her emotions pouring forth as she buried her face in his proffered shoulder.

As she cried, she felt a small hand on her back, and a larger one on her arm. She looked up, to see Ryu and Jinpei standing next to her, smiling.

"Don't leave, Onechan!" Jinpei begged, "You just came back to us!"

"I'm proud to work with you, Jun." Ryu added, causing Jun to smile through her tears.

"Thank you." she said, looking at each of them, in turn. "Thank you, all."

But Jun's gaze drifted over to the corner, where Ken remained seated in silent contemplation. Joe noticed, and made a mental note to bash some sense into the Eagle, at the earliest opportunity.

"Well," Dr. Nambu said, clearing his throat noisily, "I guess that's been settled." He smiled at Jun. "I'm glad you're going to remain on the Science Ninja Team, Jun."

Everyone returned to their seats, although Joe pulled his chair closer to Jun, so that he could hold her hand.

"Your story explains a lot of what I saw in your medical report, Jun." Nambu said, as if there hadn't been any interruption in the debriefing session, "And also brings up a grave concern."

Jun squeezed Joe's hand tightly. She could only imagine what the Doctor was about to say, and none of the possibilities were good.

"The incision on your lower back, and your bloodwork, confirm that marrow cells were extracted from your pelvic bone." Nambu stated. "Of course, we will perform additional tests to confirm your possible parentage. We do have a sample of Katse's DNA on file."

"Thank you." Jun nodded, "I'd like to know, for sure."

"Your brainwave scans revealed some interesting patterns… ones with which I am not familiar." the Doctor continued. "But based on your description of Leader X, I can assume that they are a side-effect of your encounter with that entity. The part that concerns me is that these brainwave patterns are very similar to those of an electromagnetic locator beacon. My guess is that Leader X wanted to keep tabs on you, and purposely placed such signals into your brain."

"So… Leader X can locate me at any time? Even here?" Jun asked, her voice fearful.

"Not here." Nambu smiled reassuringly. "The Crescent Coral Base has the most sophisticated dampening systems invented by the ISO. Only signals _we_ allow can come through, or be sent out. As long as you remain here, the signals being emitted from your brain cannot travel outside this base."

"But if I were to leave…" Jun continued the Doctor's thought.

"Yes, then X could locate you again." Nambu confirmed. "The good news is that since we know these waves are present, we can set up a counter-effect. I can get you in the lab, and create a dampening field inside your brain, rendering these patterns completely useless."

Jun sagged in her wheelchair with relief.

"It's actually quite fortuitous that this happened to you, Jun." the Doctor went on, "Because now we know how Leader X senses things. We can set up similar dampening fields in all of the members of the Science Ninja Team."

"You mean, Leader X would never see us coming?" Jinpei asked, excited.

"Not by sensing your physical presence." Nambu clarified, "Although he might still be able to sense you in other ways, such as through your bracelet communications. Obviously, we cannot place a dampening field on your communicators: that would defeat their purpose."

"He didn't do anything else… to my mind?" Jun asked cautiously.

"Not as far as we can tell." the Doctor stated firmly. "Other than this one difference, your brainwave patterns are identical to those from your last monthly physical."

"That makes me feel a lot better." Jun smiled.

"Now, I'm going to set up that dampening procedure." Nambu excused himself, "So that we can get started tomorrow. The rest of you," he added, looking around the room, "should go get some sleep. It's been a long day." With that, the Doctor stood up and exited the room.

"I'll take you back to your quarters, Jun." Joe offered. He saw the hopeful look Jun cast in Ken's direction, and her hurt expression when the Eagle ignored her.

"Thanks, Joe." Jun mumbled, in a defeated tone. "I'd appreciate that. I don't have the hang of this thing yet." She gestured to her wheelchair.

"No problem." Joe said, as he turned the chair around and exited the room.

The moment the Condor and the Swan had left, Jinpei leapt to his feet and stalked over to Ken.

"What the hell was that?" the Swallow demanded, "What's wrong with you, Aniki?"

"Nothing." Ken muttered. Actually, there was a _lot_ wrong with Ken at this moment, but he didn't feel like discussing it with anyone else, least of all an outraged eleven-year-old.

"Then why were you just sitting there, instead of supporting Onechan?" Jinpei huffed. "You knew she wanted you to say something!"

"I don't want to talk about it." Ken said, swiftly rising from his chair, and turning to exit the office.

"The hell you don't!" Jinpei raged. "How dare you treat Onechan that way?" The boy moved to hit Ken, but Ryu stepped in and held him back.

"I think Jinpei is overreacting a bit," the Owl said, "but he does have a point, Ken. Jun deserves our full support. And I thought, of all people, she'd have yours."

Ken couldn't bear to see the accusing look in Ryu's eyes, so he left the room without saying another word.

"It's all right, Jinpei." he heard Ryu saying behind him, "Ken'll come around. You'll see."

"He'd better!" muttered Jinpei.

What hurt the most was that Ken knew they were right. He _should_ be supporting Jun. Hadn't he promised her as much, right before they went into Dr. Nambu's office?

He had been able to deal with it: Jun's mother being a Devilstar, Jun a child of Galactor. But when he heard about Katse…

Berg Katse was his sworn enemy. He had been responsible for the death of Ken's father, Red Impulse. He was the leader of Galactor.

Finding out that Jun was related to Katse… his _daughter_… was like a punch in the gut to Ken. It was so unexpected, so painful, that Ken hadn't known how to react.

So how did Ken feel? He didn't know. All he knew was that he couldn't jump up and tell Jun that everything was fine. The words would be a lie, and that wasn't the way Ken operated. No matter how he felt about Jun, he owed her the truth about those feelings.

If only he could figure out what that was.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"What happened, Katse?" Leader X snarled menacingly, "How could you have let this disaster occur?"

"Sire, my apologies, but it appears that there was some kind of malfunction in the operating systems for the base." Katse groveled before the alien entity. "Somehow, a false emergency alarm was initiated, and then a short while later, one of the mecha fighters accidentally launched a missile into the wall of the hangar. That, in turn, set off the explosions that destroyed the base."

Privately, Katse seethed. That stupid girl! He had given her the opportunity to escape, and in return she had demolished his base without a second thought. Apparently she had been able to sneak onboard one of the mecha planes and had accidentally fired a missile. Now, because of his foolishness, Katse had to face the Leader's wrath. He should have just killed the bitch, and been done with it. But no… he had had an attack of _conscience_, and stupidly, he had listened to it. It just went to show where mercy got you. Katse resolved to be completely ruthless in the future.

But for now, Katse had to convince Leader X not only that he, himself, had had nothing to do with the base's destruction, but that Jun Matsuo was completely unreachable.

"That does not explain what happened to Jun Matsuo!" raged X. "Where has she gone?"

"We believe that she was killed in the fire, Sire." Katse lied smoothly, hoping that the alien would not choose _this_ exact moment to probe his thoughts. "She was locked in a room with no other exit. There is no way that she could have escaped."

"I agree." X replied, amused by the stunned look on Katse's face. "I placed a locator signal inside the girl's mind. I am no longer able to find her, or make contact. This strongly implies that she is dead."

"How terrible, Sire." Katse murmured. All the better if the girl truly was dead.

"How _inconvenient_, Katse." muttered Leader X, "I am faced with your complete incompetence, and at the same time, have no viable replacement. Whatever am I to do with you, Berg Katse?"

"I know I can do better, Sire!" Katse replied hopefully, "I will execute my plans, and the Science Ninja Team will be destroyed, for once and for all!"

"No, Katse." X corrected him, "You will execute _my_ plan. _Your_ plans are always completely worthless. I have been working on something to bring the people of Earth, and the Science Ninja Team, to their knees!""

"Yes, Sire." Katse bowed, relieved that he was to continue to hold his position. "Whatever you ask, will be done."

88888

"Here we are, Madmoiselle." Joe joked, trying desperately to lighten the mood. "Your suite." He opened the door to Jun's quarters, and rolled her inside. But when he made a move to turn on the light switch, Jun stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Don't, Joe." she asked him plaintively, "I think the darkness suits my mood, tonight."

"You've got to have _some_ light." Joe protested, turning on a small bedside lamp. It was dim, but at least Jun would be able to see her way to the bathroom. Then he gently picked her up, and laid her down on the bed.

"I suppose." Jun sighed, looking as if her world had just collapsed around her.

Joe couldn't take it anymore. He slammed the door closed in frustration.

"Damn it, Jun!" he cried. "He's not worth it!"

"Who?" Jun asked, confused.

"Ken!"

"Ken's not worth what?"

"I think you know, Jun." Joe said sternly.

Jun looked away from him, burying her face into her pillow. She just couldn't talk about this right now. Couldn't Joe simply leave, and let her sink into her own misery?

Apparently not. Joe sat down on the bed next to Jun, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Jun, I know you were disappointed by Ken's reaction." Joe said, "He may be a great Commander, but the guy is screwed up, emotionally. He'll sort through this. You'll see."

"I wish I could believe you, Joe." Jun said, turning back to look at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "But, the look on his face… I don't know if he'll ever feel the same way about me, again."

"So?" Joe replied angrily, "If he doesn't, then he can go to Hell! Jun, you're intelligent, you're more than capable, and you're dedicated to the Science Ninja Team. What more could he ask for?"

"That my parents…" Jun couldn't even say it again. She had had a hard enough time talking about Katse during the debriefing.

"You want to talk about parents?" Joe growled, "Ken's old man could have won 'Asshole of the Year', for two decades running! His idea of being a good father was throwing his kid across the room. And he was on _our_ side! _Rat Bastard_…"

"Ken's not one to talk." Joe finished.

"You're right, Joe." Jun said, chastened. "I shouldn't be held accountable for my biological father, no more than you, or Ken are. And if there's one thing I know about Ken, it's that he's _nothing_ like his father."

"The way he's acted today…" Joe grumbled.

"So, I'm not necessarily anything like mine." Jun stated, ignoring Joe's comment.

"I would agree with that." Joe smirked. "Certainly I wouldn't be carrying Katse around, if _his_ feet hurt."

Jun burst into a fit of laughter. It felt good, especially after the frostiness of Ken's reaction to her story.

Joe was glad to see Jun smiling. Now if only he could keep her that way.

"Did I mention how glad I am, that you're back?" Joe smiled, brushing back a bit of Jun's hair that had fallen over her eyes.

"I'm not sure…" Jun said in a thoughtful tone. "Tell me again."

"Very glad." Joe repeated, pulling Jun into a gentle embrace. He was careful not to place any pressure on her burned back.

"Thanks, Joe." Jun sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "You've really come through for me, today."

"Hey, it's the least I could do, after all of the times you've been there for _me_." Joe replied softly. "You're entitled."

"In that case… I don't suppose I could borrow the G-2, to give Jinpei some driving lessons…"

Joe pushed Jun away from him, in surprise.

"You've _got_ to be kidding!" he cried, just as the look on Jun's face told him that she was.

"April Fool's is months away, Jun." he sighed.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were paying attention to me." she giggled. Jun was finally beginning to relax. She had imagined that when she got back, Ken would hold her, he would tell her that everything would be all right, that Katse didn't matter… but instead, Ken had given her the cold shoulder, and she was here, with Joe.

It wasn't what Jun had imagined, but still, it was nice. She felt safe around Joe, as if he could make all of her problems go away. He was like the big brother she'd never had… no… that wasn't _quite_ it… there was something more. But Jun couldn't say exactly what that was.

Still, she was glad he was here. It almost made up for Ken's attitude. _Almost_.

Joe was relived that Jun seemed to be relaxing. Her return shouldn't be causing this much tension, but Ken… the Eagle had always thought he was a rule unto himself. Joe resented the way everyone made excuses for him. But this time, Ken wasn't going to get his way. Not if what Ken wanted was for Jun to leave the Science Ninja Team.

"You've got my _full_ attention, Jun." Joe replied. "How are you feeling? Are you still in pain?"

"Actually, everything feels pretty good." Jun shrugged. "I guess those painkillers the nurse gave me are still working."

"That's good… you need to get some rest." Joe said reluctantly. "I should be leaving."

"No… don't go, just yet." Jun said impulsively, grabbing at the Condor's arm. Suddenly, she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. She needed to feel… safe.

Joe made a show of sighing.

"If you _insist_…" he grinned.

"I do!" Jun giggled. "Just… just stay with me… until I fall asleep. Please, Joe?" She was being serious now. The thought of being alone frightened her, somehow.

Joe watched Jun's face, as it turned from impish to pleading. He couldn't say no. Not after what she'd been through.

"Just for a few minutes." he qualified, attempting to stretch out on the bed. He was surprised at how good it felt, to have Jun snuggle next to him, her head on his chest.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Joe spoke.

"You don't know how terrible it was, when you were gone." he whispered, softly stroking Jun's hair. "I wanted to talk to you, so desperately, and you weren't there. I knew I'd do anything to have you back. And when we got your Birdscramble, I felt like my prayers had been answered."

The only answer was Jun's soft, even breathing. She had fallen asleep. Joe gently grazed his knuckles down her jawline, staring at her eyelashes as they curled against her porcelain skin. Her dreamy smile completed the picture of perfect contentment.

Jun was so beautiful… so precious. Joe couldn't believe the amount of emotional turmoil she had borne over the last few days, only to have it culminate with Ken's obvious disapproval. It wasn't right.

Joe knew he would do whatever it took, to protect Jun. Even if it meant going up against the Eagle.

He pressed his lips to the top of Jun's head, then drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the Swan.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Ken spent the night tossing and turning. Images of Berg Katse's purple mask filled his dreams, transforming into Jun's face. He saw Jun in her civvies, shouting 'Bird Go!' and transmuting into a Devilstar uniform.

The Eagle sat bolt upright in his bed, the sheets tangled around his legs, sweat running in rivulets down his bare chest. He could barely catch his breath. He had thought that his world had turned upside down when Jun had disappeared, but that was nothing compared to how he felt now, with his mind in this turmoil.

Ken lay back down on his sweat-soaked pillow. He closed his eyes, and the dreams came again. But this time, they were different.

He saw Jun in bare feet and rags, walking through a fiery inferno, over broken glass, just to reach the God Phoenix. Thousands of green-suited goons swarmed over her, preventing her escape. Leader X reached out, ensnaring her mind, causing her to scream in agony. Then Jun was in shackles, next to Ken's father, Berg Katse laughing maniacally as the two of them were about to be executed.

Ken couldn't stand to watch. The Eagle swooped down from the ceiling, foot extended to crush Katse's head as he landed.

"No, Ken! It's a trap!" Jun screamed.

Her warning gave Ken a chance to survey the room. He saw dozens of goons lying in wait, and dispatched them with his Bird Rang, just as Katse pulled the trigger on his own weapon, firing at Jun, and his father.

"Nooooo!" screamed Ken, landing with a thump on his bedroom floor.

Ken rubbed his head, where it had hit the ground, and recalled his dream. Jun had been Katse's prisoner, abused by Leader X.

Jun was the _same_ person she had always been. She was a victim of Katse's, just as Ken's father had been. She hadn't asked for any of this, or done anything to deserve it.

What Jun _did_ deserve, was to remain a part of the Science Ninja Team.

Ken resolved to find Jun, and talk to her, as soon as he was dressed.

88888

Jun opened her eyes. A small amount of filtered sunlight made its way through the waters of the ocean, and through the window into her room. She smiled. She was home.

As she moved slightly to stretch her muscles, a soft grunt came from her pillow. Joe! The Condor was her pillow. She had spent the night with her head on his chest. In fact, Jun could hear his heart beating just below her ear. Jun didn't want to wake him, especially as he had been nice enough to spend the night with her. As quietly as possible, she slipped off the bed and padded on her bandaged tiptoes to the bathroom. Her feet hurt a little, but it wasn't too bad.

Joe awoke the moment Jun stirred. As the Condor, he had trained himself to sleep lightly, so even her quiet movements brought him out of his slumber. He watched her from under his barely open eyelids, and waited for her return.

When Jun came out of the bathroom, Joe found himself pleased that she lay down next to him again. As she relaxed, replacing her head onto his chest, Joe slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey! You're awake!" she whispered.

"Side effect of the job." Joe murmured, "I'm a light sleeper."

"Makes sense." Jun grinned. "Thanks for staying."

"No problem." Joe replied, opening one eye and gazing down at her. "It wasn't _too_ bad."

"I'm glad to hear that." Jun smiled, propping herself up on her elbow. "Seriously though, Joe, I really appreciate that you were there for me last night. It meant a lot to me."

"Anytime." Joe meant it. Jun had been there for him, through some pretty rough times. He owed her… but of course, it was more than that.

Jun leaned over and briefly brushed her lips against Joe's cheek.

The Condor felt a warm rush through his body. He had a sudden urge to take this woman in his arms and…

What the hell was he thinking? Joe knew, better than anyone, how infatuated Jun was with Ken. How many times had Jun talked to Joe about her feelings for the Eagle?

"You're sweet, Joe." Jun murmured.

"Don't let it get around." Joe grumbled, reluctantly pulling himself upright and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I have a reputation to protect."

"Your secret is safe with me." Jun giggled, "Besides, who else would believe that the Condor is a big softie at heart?"

"Absolutely no one!" Joe declared, standing up. He was flattered to see a disappointed look flash across Jun's face as she realized that he intended to leave.

"Thanks again, Joe." Jun said, sitting up on her bed, just as a knock came from the bedroom door.

"I'll get that." Joe said, glancing at the Swan's bandaged feet. He walked over to the door and opened it.

Ken's hand was raised in mid-air, ready to knock again, but at the sight of the Condor he was momentarily taken aback.

"Joe!" Ken exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

Joe was glad to see that Ken had decided to talk to Jun, but despite that, he felt a momentary flash of jealousy. Ruthlessly, the Condor suppressed the feeling, then stepped aside to let his Commander enter the room.

"I was just checking up on Jun." Joe explained. No need to let Ken know that he had been there all night.

"Joe's been very supportive." Jun said, in a slightly irritated tone. She could hardly believe she was addressing Ken that way. But the glaring differences in the way the two men had treated her the previous night still rankled.

Joe flashed a devilish grin at her. He was pleased to see the Swan standing up for herself. She had always been too willing to let Ken walk all over her.

"I guess I'll be leaving, then." he announced. It appeared that Jun had things well in hand.

"I'll see you later, Joe." Jun said. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"I'll look forward to it." Joe smiled, before closing the door behind him, leaving Jun alone with Ken.

"I'm sorry, Jun." Ken said, hanging his head. "I should have been more understanding, last night."

Jun's mouth fell open, and it was a few seconds before she could speak.

"I appreciate that, Ken." she replied, finally. "You don't know how hard it was for me to talk about it. I'm still having a difficult time dealing with it, myself."

Ken sat down next to Jun on the bed, staring at his hands, as they lay in his lap.

"When you were gone, I spent a lot of time imagining what had happened to you." Ken began, "None of it was good, and I was afraid for you. I was also incredibly angry: at myself for sitting stupidly in a restaurant while you were being abducted, and at Galactor for taking you in the first place." He looked up at Jun, and she could see the turmoil in his eyes.

"The worst things I could think of… they didn't matter to me." Ken continued, "All I wanted was to have you back. But… I never could have imagined what you told us last night."

Ken reached for Jun's hands, grasping them tightly in his own.

"When you said that Berg Katse was… your father…" Ken seemed to have a hard time saying the words, "I just couldn't deal with it. I felt like… like the enemy was sitting in the room with me, asking to be part of the Science Ninja Team.'

Tears welled up in Jun's eyes, but Ken squeezed her hands tightly.

"I was wrong, Jun." he said quickly, "but I'm trying to explain how I felt. I didn't say anything last night, because I was confused. I felt like a hypocrite, because I'd just promised you that I'd be there for you, but I just couldn't bring myself…"

Jun waited silently while Ken took a deep breath, then started to speak again.

"I was awake most of the night, thinking about this… about _you_…" the Eagle admitted, "And I realized… _you're_ the victim here. You didn't ask for this, and it has only hurt you. Yet, you're ready to pick yourself up, and move on."

Jun nodded emphatically.

"More than anything, I want to remain a part of the Science Ninja Team." she said.

"More than anything, I'd like to reclaim what _we_ had." Ken said, staring intently at Jun. "That is… if _you'd_ like to, Jun."

"Yes," Jun whispered, her eyes shining. "I'd like that, Ken. I'd like to have another chance…"

"You still owe me a dinner." Ken grinned. "Since we're confined to base, we don't have a lot of choices, but we could try to find something."

"What about one of the conference rooms?" Jun suggested. "You could always grab a tray for us from the cafeteria, and this way we wouldn't have any… interested observers." She smiled to herself, thinking of how Jinpei would spy on them, given half a chance.

"Sounds perfect." Ken agreed. "I'll pick you up, this time? Seven o'clock?"

"I'm looking forward to it." Jun smiled.

"I'll see you later, then." Ken said, as he stood up to leave. "Until tonight."

As her door closed, Jun lay back on her bed, grinning from ear to ear. It was amazing how her life could change completely overnight.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Ha! You can't beat me!" Jinpei whooped, as he defeated Jun in their third straight game of Halo. The two were relaxing in the lounge that had been set aside for the use of the Science Ninja Team, when they were on base.

"I guess not!" Jun laughed. "You've certainly had a lot of practice. I don't suppose this is interfering with your schoolwork…"

"You're just sore, 'cause I beat you!" Jinpei smirked.

"You're probably right." Jun winked.

"So, how are you feeling, today?" Jinpei asked cautiously. "Are you still upset about… last night?"

"You mean, Ken's reaction?" Jun asked him.

Jinpei nodded solemnly.

"Well, I was pretty upset about it, last night." Jun admitted, "But then, this morning, he apologized to me."

"He did?" asked Jinpei, brightening. "That's great! Now you and Aniki can go out to dinner!"

"Now there's an idea." giggled Jun.

"Wait a minute…" Jinpei said knowingly, "He's already asked you again, hasn't he? Hasn't he?"

Jun blushed, but didn't say a word.

"He did!" teased Jinpei, "Way to go, Aniki! Now, just don't wear so much of that junk on your face this time, Onechan."

"That's not too hard to do, since what little makeup I have is at the Joint." Jun said with a wry smile.

"Yeah, Hakase didn't want us going back there." Jinpei explained. "He figured since Galactor found you there already, it wasn't safe."

"I know." Jun said, "This morning he talked to me about getting us another place in Jutland City. I'm going to have to change my last name, too. I guess it's a small price to pay, to keep Galactor off my back, and still have a normal life. But I'm sorry that you have to be uprooted too, Jinpei."

"Awww, don't worry about it, Onechan." Jinpei replied. "It's more important that Galactor doesn't know who we are. It's not like I had that many friends hanging around, you know."

Jun nodded. Being part of the Science Ninja Team, and having special home-schooling assignments, meant that Jinpei didn't have much of a chance to make friends his own age. Of course, there was Ryu. In many ways, Ryu was just as good as a friend Jinpei's age.

Still… Jun sighed. They had all known what they were getting into when they had joined the Science Ninja Team, but some things were harder to deal with than others.

"And anyway, Joe said that he was going to move his trailer closer to Jutland, and Aniki's airstrip isn't any further from there, than it is from Utoland." Jinpei shrugged. "Ryu said he might move too. It's not like any of us have big ties to Utoland, if the Snack is gone."

Jinpei had a point. In a way, it was sad how none of them were really able to put down any roots. The only thing tying any of them down was Ken's airfield, since it had been left to him by his father. And Ken had been known to close it down for months at a time.

"Thanks, Jinpei." Jun said, giving the boy a hug. "I'm so lucky to have such good friends."

"As long as you promise never to cook at the new Snack." Jinpei teased Jun, "Then everything will be fine."

"Ooh!" Jun pretended to be mad, but she knew it was true. She could mix careful combinations of explosives, but was all thumbs in a kitchen.

It was amazing how quickly they all adjusted to a new status quo. It was all part of being on the Science Ninja Team.

88888

This time, Jun didn't spend very much time getting ready for her date. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't have much to do. She had nothing to wear other than her civvies uniform, and no makeup to experiment with. Still, she eagerly anticipated seven o'clock, when Ken would be picking her up.

The Eagle was right on time. Jun smiled to herself. This boded well.

Jun wheeled her chair over and opened the door, humming to herself.

"Are you ready, Jun?" Ken asked, smiling.

"As long as you can help me with this chair!" Jun replied. "I still haven't gotten the hang of it."

"That's okay, I can push you." Ken offered. "How much longer are you going to be in this thing, anyway?" he asked.

"Well, I saw the doctors this afternoon," Jun answered, "and they seemed to think that I could probably get rid of it tomorrow, after a final checkup. I'll still have to take it easy on walking for another couple of days, though."

"At least you can get yourself around." Ken replied. "It must be frustrating to be confined to this thing."

"Well, I've had a lot of handsome men pushing me around." Jun joked, "So it's not really that bad."

"Oh?" Ken asked, feeling a brief flash of enviousness. "Who else has been pushing you around?"

"Well, Joe last night, and Jinpei and Ryu today." Jun replied. "Whom else did you think?"

Jun's answer was completely reasonable, and not unexpected, but Ken was unnerved by his instinctive feeling of jealousy. He was a little frightened at this sense of possessiveness he was experiencing.

"Dr. Nambu is going to try his dampening process tomorrow, as well." Jun continued, oblivious to Ken's thoughts. "If it's successful, then I'll be able to leave the Crescent Coral Base, too."

"Hmmmm…. yeah…" Ken mumbled, not really listening, "Sounds great."

"And then, I guess I'll have a chance to find a new location for the Joint, in Jutland City." Jun said.

"Sounds great." repeated Ken.

"And after that, I was thinking of becoming an exotic dancer." Jun added.

"What?" Ken sputtered, sending Jun into a fit of laughter.

"I guess you _were_ listening to me." Jun smirked, noticing the Eagle's blush. "What was on your mind, Ken?"

"Uh, nothing." Ken mumbled, "Just some plans for the airfield, while we're confined to Base. Hey, we're here." Grateful for the distraction, he wheeled Jun into one of the smaller conference rooms.

"Ken!" Jun exclaimed, "This is terrific!" The Eagle had obviously gone to some pains to create a romantic atmosphere… as much as was possible in a conference room. A bowl of fresh flowers sat on the table, next to two place settings of proper china and silverware. Two candles provided most of the illumination.

"Well, I didn't have as much success with the menu." Ken shrugged. "The cafeteria only had fish sticks or macaroni and cheese." With a flourish, he pulled the heat covers off of two cafeteria plates. "Your choice!"

Jun burst out laughing, and after a moment, Ken joined her. The happy sound broke a tension between them that they hadn't even realized was present, until now.

It was a good start.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Joe stuck his head into the lounge to see the Swallow and the Owl playing video games.

"I win again!" Jinpei cried, leaping up to perform a small victory dance. While he was quite graceful while flying or fighting as the Swallow, when he danced, Jinpei was an awkward, gangly mess of arms and legs. Joe couldn't help laughing at the amusing sight.

"Hey, Joe!" Ryu called, "Come save me from another defeat!" He held up the control, offering it to the Condor.

"No thanks, Ryu." Joe replied. "I'm not getting sucked into that."

"You're just saying that, because you know I'd beat you!" Jinpei smirked.

"Nah," Joe denied the Swallow's accusation, "I'm just tired. I was driving laps at the track all day."

"Sure… whatever you say, Joe." Jinpei grinned.

"Actually, I'm looking for Ken. Have either of you seen him?" Joe asked. He wanted to find out what had happened with Ken and Jun that morning. Joe had purposely stayed away all day, even ignoring Dr. Nambu's orders confining the team to Base. But thoughts of emerald eyes and a laughing smile followed him out to the track, no matter how hard he tried to push them out of his mind. Finally, when he couldn't stand it anymore, Joe had returned.

"Uh, yeah…" Ryu mumbled, "Ken's… occupied."

"And we'd know exactly _how_ he was occupied, if you'd just let me have a little fun!" Jinpei pouted.

"What are you guys talking about?" Joe asked, confused.

"Aniki and Onechan are having their date tonight!" Jinpei exclaimed excitedly, "But, Ryu won't let me try and find them. I just want to see how it's going!"

"I see…" Joe replied. Ken and Jun, on a _date_? Joe guessed that their conversation that morning had gone well, then. He suppressed a sudden pang of loneliness. Perhaps it was for the best. They'd always been hung up on each other… it was about time they got it sorted out.

"I'm not going to let you interrupt them, Jinpei!" Ryu insisted, "Especially after what happened last time they tried this!"

"Yeah, yeah…" grumbled Jinpei, "Spoilsport…"

Neither of them noticed as Joe quietly left the room.

88888

Ken was amazed at how smoothly things went, at first. He and Jun made small talk, laughed at each other's jokes, reminisced over shared experiences, and generally had a good time.

That is, until Ken put his foot in his mouth.

"This sure is a lot more fun than the last dinner we had planned." he said, mentally smacking himself the moment the words were spoken.

"Well, getting attacked by Galactor goons is quite the party, let me tell you," Jun joked, "but I think I'd have to agree."

Inwardly, Ken sighed with relief that Jun hadn't taken any offense to his comment, and the conversation moved back to more neutral topics. But Ken's thoughts kept straying back to Jun's disappearance, and her shocking revelation of the previous evening.

Once he had thought about it, Jun's relationship to Berg Katse wouldn't leave Ken's mind, no matter how hard he tried. He could see Jun getting irritated as he lost track of the conversation, but couldn't shake the image from his dream: of Katse's face merging into Jun's.

Ken forced himself to look at Jun, concentrating on her sparkling eyes and shining hair. And then he saw her mouth… her full, pink lips, that looked just like…

"No!" Ken cried, shaking his head.

"Ken, what's wrong?" Jun asked, reaching out to him, placing her hand lightly on his forearm. Ken couldn't stop staring at Jun's pale skin, her long, slim fingers… so familiar…

"I'm sorry, Jun." Ken replied, through clenched teeth. "This was a bad idea."

"What?"

Ken could hear the shock and hurt in her voice, and wished he could take back his words. But he couldn't. He could barely look at Jun. Every time he did, an image of Berg Katse rose up in his mind, superimposing itself over her face.

"I'm sorry…" Ken repeated, standing up. "I just… can't do this." He left the room as if a hundred Galactor goons were hot on his heels.

What the hell had gone wrong?


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

At any other time, Joe would have jumped into his car and raced off down the highway, going wherever the road took him. However, the team was officially confined to Base, and he had already broken those orders once today. So instead, Joe found himself wandering aimlessly down the corridors of the Crescent Coral Base, his mind lost in thought.

No matter how he tried, Joe couldn't shake the image of Ken and Jun… _together_… talking, laughing, touching… He tried to bury the images flashing through his mind, but they kept resurfacing. He knew he had no right to be so hot and bothered about this, but every time he tried to convince himself that Jun was better off with Ken, Joe saw an image of her tear-stained face the night before, when the Eagle had so cruelly ignored her.

What the hell was he supposed to do about this?

Joe knew what he had to do. He had to step aside gracefully, and watch his two best friends walk off into the sunset. If only it didn't hurt so much.

"Damn it!"

Joe was so preoccupied with his thoughts, that he almost wasn't sure he had heard it. But then he heard a soft thump, accompanied by a similar exclamation. He knew that voice.

Jun.

Joe looked around. He was in a section of the Base reserved for meetings, full of conference rooms and offices. A door a few feet away from him was ajar.

Looking inside the dimly-lit room, Joe saw the remnants of what had obviously been dinner for two.

But there was only one person in the room.

Jun didn't notice the Condor in her struggle with her wheelchair. She was stuck between the table and the wall, trying to exit, with limited success.

"If I ever meet the jerk who invented these things…" she grumbled.

"You'll what?" Joe asked, a sardonic smile on his face. He leaned against the doorframe, arms and ankles crossed.

"Joe!" Jun said, relief flooding her face. "Can you help me, please?"

"Sure thing." Joe drawled, "It's my job to help people."

"Thanks." Jun muttered, her relief fast turning to embarrassment, at being caught in such a predicament. "I was just about ready to start getting out of this thing."

"Against doctor's orders?" Joe asked in pretend shock. "Why I never!"

Jun stuck out her tongue at the Condor. She knew it was childish, but at this point she was so overwrought it completely suited her mood.

"Oh, how ladylike." Joe smirked. Seeing the dark look on the Swan's face, he decided to change the subject. "So, uh… where's Ken?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Jun fumed.

A flicker of glee shot through Joe before he ruthlessly squelched it. He shouldn't be feeling happy that Jun was angry.

"Are you sure?" Joe asked, sitting down in a chair next to Jun. "Sometimes, it helps, to talk. That's one thing I learned from you." he added wryly.

"No… It's just… oh…" Jun fumbled for words. "I can't believe how stupid I've been!"

"Stupid is not normally a word I'd associate with you." Joe replied casually, "Things can't be that bad."

"I've been a damn fool." Jun muttered, more to herself, than Joe. "I actually thought that Ken, and I…" Her hands clenched into fists, and her nails dug into her skin. "He doesn't want me, Joe. He can't stand the thought of being with me."

Jun turned to look at the Condor.

"And we both know why, don't we?" she spat bitterly. "I'm not _good enough_ for him."

Joe was a little frightened by the look of self-loathing Jun wore.

"That's not true, Jun." he replied, placing his hand on her arm. "If anything, you're _too good _for him."

"So is that why he ran out of here, without even an explanation?" Jun grumbled.

"What?" Joe asked, surprised. "That doesn't sound like Ken. Did he get a call on his bracelet, or something?"

"No… he just started losing interest in the conversation, then he got up and said that he couldn't go through with this, and left." Jun replied, turning her face away in shame.

Joe was floored. What the hell was wrong with Ken?

"I'm going to forget about Ken." Jun declared resolutely. "You've got the right idea, Joe."

"Right idea, about what?" Joe asked, confused by this sudden turn of events.

"Revenge." Jun replied grimly. "I need to live my life for revenge. It's the best motivator. I'm going to kill Berg Katse, for the way he's screwed up my life. I won't rest until that bastard is dead."

Actually, Jun wouldn't be alive at all, if not for Katse, but Joe didn't think it was the right time to bring up that technicality.

"I understand, Jun." Joe said, placing his hand on her cheek, forcing her to look at him. "And I'll do whatever I can, to help you."

"I can always count on you, Joe." Jun said quietly. "And I want you to know, that you can always count on me too."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Joe replied seriously, taking Jun's hands in his.

"There's something else I need to tell you, Joe." Jun continued. "I'm ashamed to say that with all of my own issues last night, I was too distracted to mention it, until today."

"Okay." Joe said, "I'm listening."

"When I was at the Galactor base," Jun began, "I spent a lot of time talking with a older Devilstar named Haruka. She had been a friend of my mother's. She told me a lot about how I was conceived, and what happened to my mother. You know all of this from the debriefing, last night."

Joe nodded, confused. What was Jun talking about?

"There's something I didn't mention last night." Jun admitted quietly. "Something that is only for _you_ to know..."

"I met the woman who killed your parents, Joe."

The grip on Jun's hands tightened, but there was no other indication that Joe had heard what she had said.

"Her name is Ayame. She is now the leader of the Devilstars. For a number of years, after my mother's… departure… from Galactor, she was in charge of hunting down defectors." Jun said.

"You're sure?" Joe asked grimly.

"I'm sure." Jun replied. "Ayame is famous within Galactor for successfully eliminating their most notorious 'renegades'. Haruka mentioned the Asakuras by name."

Joe let out a long, slow breath. He had always been fueled by his need for revenge against Galactor, but he had never had a true target, other than Katse. But now…

"Thank you, Jun." he acknowledged the Swan. "I can take it from here."

"I'll help you." Jun blurted out.

"What?"

"You promised to help me kill Katse." Jun explained. "I'll help you exact revenge on Ayame."

"A… pact, of sorts?" Joe asked. It wasn't a bad idea, actually.

"I will not rest, until our enemies are dead." Jun pledged, staring into Joe's eyes with a cold intensity he found discomfortingly familiar.

It was the look he saw in the mirror every morning.

"Are you sure you know what you're getting into, Jun?" Joe asked, concerned. "This is my life, _my_ vendetta…"

Jun placed her hands firmly on Joe's cheeks, pulling his face toward hers with a deadly seriousness.

"_Our_ vendetta." she clarified.

"Our _revenge_." Joe confirmed, placing his hands on Jun's shoulders.

Jun smiled, and Joe had never seen anything more radiant.

Unable to help himself, he moved across the inch of space that separated them, and his lips found hers.

Jun's arms wound themselves around his neck, and she returned his kiss with a fiery passion.

Neither of them noticed Ken standing in the doorway.

This was an entirely _different_ kind of revenge.

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_Be sure to check out **Sunset Part II**! This second part is rated M, so please do not read if this offends you._


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